What (golf) balls! Businessman found guilty of selling fake bomb detectors to governments

[Poll_Blind]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10013022/Businessman-found-guilty-of-selling-fake-bomb-detectors-to-governments.html

A businessman who fooled police forces, the military and governments around the world into buying fake bomb-detection kits for millions of pounds is facing jail after being found guilty of fraud.

Millionaire James McCormick, 57, sold the useless devices, based on novelty golf-ball finders worth less than £13, for as much as £27,000 each to customers including the Iraqi government, the United Nations, Kenyan police, Hong Kong prison service, the Egyptian army, Thailand's border control and Saudi Arabia.

The ineffectual detectors were used by soldiers and peacekeepers out in the field, putting lives at risk, with McCormick thought to have made an estimated £50 million from sales of his three models to Iraq, Belgium and the UN for use in Lebanon.

Experts said the detectors lacked “any grounding in science, nor does it work in accordance with the known laws of physics”, adding that they were “completely ineffectual as a piece of detection equipment".

McCormick, who worked from a cramped office in Somerset, claimed his devices could detect minuscule traces of explosives, class A drugs, ivory and human beings at a distance of up to 1km at ground level and from a plane flying 5km high.

Much more at the link!

Good lord.

PB

[Initech]

1. They're all crooks. He's a snake oil salesman.

[rrneck]

2. Fire the idiots that bought the goddamn things. nt

[Poll_Blind]

3. Since these were used for defense/military purposes, more like throw them in the brig! nt

PB

[rrneck]

4. Agreed. nt

[SidDithers]

5. Inb4 the "dowsing is real" and "scientific materialism" cranks...

Thread about the same guy from last month:
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/10022490993



Sid