Court Appearance and Pleas

British sprinter and Olympic medallist CJ Ujah appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, where he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud. The 32-year-old athlete, formally listed as Chijindu Ujah and residing in Enfield, north London, stood alongside nine other defendants accused of participating in an alleged organised crime group.

The group faces charges linked to a scam that involved callers impersonating police officers and representatives from cryptocurrency companies. Victims were reportedly persuaded to share sensitive security information, resulting in the theft of funds from their digital wallets. One victim is said to have lost more than £300,000.

Brandon Mingeli, 25, from Thamesmead in south-east London, denied an additional charge of converting criminal property while pleading guilty to two counts of possessing false identity documents.

Investigation and Timeline

The case stems from an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit. Coordinated search warrants were executed across Kent, Essex, and London on April 29 as part of efforts to tackle serious and organised crime.

A 12-week trial has been scheduled to begin at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 24 next year. The next hearing in the case is set for September 9 at the same court.

Ujah's Athletic Career

Ujah gained prominence as a track athlete after becoming only the fifth Briton to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres, recording a time of 9.96 seconds in 2014. He won gold as part of the British 4x100m relay team at the 2017 World Championships in London.

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Ujah competed in the 4x100m final, but the British team was later stripped of its silver medal after he tested positive for two banned substances. He was subsequently cleared of any intentional use of prohibited substances.

List of Defendants