Brit suspected of FAKING his death in Bali ‘stole gran’s life savings and set up fake charities to scam people
THE Brit suspected of FAKING his death in Bali has been accused by his own uncle of stealing his gran's life savings and setting up fake charities.
Sean Flynn, 58, claims his "slippery" nephew - entrepreneur Ryan Roth - is nothing more than a con artist and a "serial fraudster living his life on other people's money".
Indonesian police are investigating whether Roth, 39, faked his own death near a 500ft cliff edge in Bali after it was revealed he was wanted over fraud allegations.
He had left a letter to his ex-girlfriend along with his belongings near the Selonding Temple in Pecatu Village on January 20, but police have been unable to find a body in the secluded beauty spot.
Now Mr Flynn has accused his nephew of stealing up to £20,000 his grandmother's life savings.
In a letter allegedly written by his grandmother and seen by , she tells her grandson that she had "trusted" him and begs him to return the money.
The letter begins: "Thanks very much Ryan for letting me down.
"I have no money left now. I am worrying for the first time in 70 years..."
The letter continues to state that the elderly woman has suffered ill health due to the stress of the unpaid debts.
Signed 'nan', it reads: "I lent you money left, right and centre and not a penny back."
I lent you money left, right and centre and not a penny back.
Letter to Ryan Roth
Mr Flynn, a scuba diving instructor now living in Cyprus, said Roth had once wanted to become a professional tennis player because of the "glamour", and then left the UK for American to become an actor - changing his surname from Flynn to Roth because he believed it would give him a better chance of finding fame.
He told MailOnline: "He didn't contact his late mother for seven years until he wanted money, she never had any as she was poor and would try to borrow money for him as she believed he was starving.
"He borrowed a lot of money from his aunt, she didn't say how much but knows she won't get it back."
As a child Ryan always believed he was the smartest in the room.
Uncle, Sean Flynn
FRAUD ALLEGATIONS
Distressed Mr Flynn explained how his globe-trotting nephew scammed money from people by setting up charities and then later dissolving them.
Two companies - 'Our Planet UK' and 'Living Legends Ltd' - were set up under the name Ryan Flynn because closing down shortly after.
Ryan's personal LinkedIn page also states that he is the founder and CEO of KaBu & Co., a company he describes as "one of the most ethical coffee supply chains in the word" and connects "farmers to buyers, which reduces the cost to buyers and increases smallholder farmer income."
The company is no longer in operation as of January 31 last month, according to its website.
Ryan's ex-girlfriend, Karen Jin Beck, who dated him for three years from 2009 to 2012, previously admitted her ex "made some bad decisions including scamming people".
She said: "I wish Ryan had the opportunity to be able to repay and make amends. It seems like he may have resorted to faking his death in order to start over. I just hope he did not end his life."
STILL ALIVE?
Authorities in Bali said they are now probing whether the entrepreneur, from Southampton, is still alive after an apparent suicide note appeared at the scene as well as his motorbike, which was spotted nearby at Uluwatu cliff.
Bushes appeared undisturbed at the bottom of the cliff and police say they have no indication as to whether he may have taken his own life, been involved in an accident or even fled the scene.
Police said the letter, found inside Roth's bag, was addressed to his former girlfriend, Alice, and read: "I'm sorry Alice, I'm the man you fell in love with, but past things I never did made you feel like I was a stranger. I'll always love you. None of this is your fault. Your old man xx."
A post on a website for scam victims claims that Roth had sold a "1970 penny to an elderly woman for some A$8,100, essentially robbing her of her life savings".
Others also claimed that Roth had outstanding rent payments back in Sydney Australia and had conned a former girlfriend out of thousands, leaving her homeless.
Allegations also surfaced that Roth had scammed others in the UK and France "using the disguise of a child sex trafficking charity".
