An inquest has been opened into the death of Karl Cronin, 59, a notorious property fraudster who had evaded police for nearly two decades. Cronin was found deceased on the pavement outside his London home on April 6, having fallen from a second-story window.
Metropolitan Police detectives had been searching for Cronin for approximately 20 years, linking him to a property fraud scheme allegedly worth up to £5 million. He is accused of using various aliases to approach banks, claiming to be the owner of rented properties, remortgaging them, and then disappearing with the funds. The fraud reportedly affected landlords across Chelsea, Fulham, Kensington, and Putney in southwest London.
Despite an appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch program, Cronin remained at large, reportedly living a lavish lifestyle in Dubai and Indonesia. Social media posts revealed him flaunting his wealth, including images of him on beaches, beside swimming pools, with women, in expensive cars, and traveling first-class.
Cronin was also implicated in a 2017 fraud trial that resulted in the conviction of his former lover, Laylah De Cruz, and her mother. De Cruz had used a changed name to convince estate agents she owned a vacant £3 million house in Kensington, leading to a £1.2 million bridging loan that was transferred to Dubai and withdrawn in cash. Cronin did not stand trial in that case, with jurors informed he was at large.
Records indicate Cronin was previously traced by the FBI on unrelated fraud charges and arrested in Budapest. He spent a year in a U.S. jail before being returned to the UK late last year, reportedly without the Metropolitan Police's knowledge.
Neighbors reported seeing Cronin "partying hard" the night before his death and noted he frequently leaned out of his window to smoke. Friends described him as a "loveable rogue," while others noted he "did a lot of bad things in his life and destroyed many, many lives."
An inquest into his death was opened by Jean Harkin, the assistant Inner West London Coroner. The deceased was formally identified as Jonathan Carson, formerly Karl Lacey William Cronin. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his fall. A full inquest is scheduled for January 20.