A Harwich man has admitted laundering more than £9,000 in a romance fraud that not only drained his victim’s savings but also pushed him into compulsive gambling and a spiral of depression. Adam Mowle, 34, of Larksfield Crescent in Essex, appeared before Ipswich Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property by fraud. The charge relates to £9,165 ($12,363) paid into his bank account over several months in 2019. Prosecutors said the money came from a man who believed he was sending financial help to a woman he had met through a dating app. I felt the need to gamble to try and get something back, this has led to me losing £93,000 to try and recoup the money I paid into Mowle’s bank account, going into a deep state of depression and having to seek help via medication and counselling. Victim impact statement The investigation was carried out by Suffolk Trading Standards. Mowle is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2026. Magistrates were told that the victim began speaking online in early …