Ex-Premier League star jailed for fraud after record label scam left victim pennyless and divorced

Lucien Aubey, who had a brief loan spell at Portsmouth in early 2008 from French club Lens, has been sentenced to two years in prison, with 12 months suspended. The 40-year-old, a five-time Congo international, made three Premier League appearances under Harry Redknapp but did not feature in Pompey’s FA Cup-winning run.

Aubey also played for Toulouse, Rennes, and Reims, along with stints in Turkey and Cyprus. However, a court in Toulouse found him guilty of scamming a friend out of more than £120,000 in 2015. Aubey and his co-defendant, Mohamed Dia, convinced the man to invest in a record label, promising him a £1m return within three years.

The victim, identified only as Sebastien, had received £170,000 in compensation after a road accident. Unbeknownst to him, Aubey had been previously declared bankrupt and was legally barred from starting a business. When Sebastien never saw his money again, he went to the police.

“I lost everything, and my wife wanted to commit suicide. I had to give up work,” Sebastien, 42, told the court. “We split up, and those two [Aubey and Dia] just had a good laugh about it all.”

Aubey has denied any wrongdoing. Speaking to the court, he said: “My money was tied up in Cyprus, held by my club Olympiakos Nicosia. This wasn't a fraud - I never robbed anyone.”

However, prosecutors presented recorded phone conversations between Aubey and Dia, which revealed their fraudulent intent. On Monday, the court ordered Aubey to repay €145,000 and prohibited him from contacting his victim.