Group Of Fraudsters To Pay A Hefty Price
On Friday 24 March 2006, Stafford Crown Court four men from Burton on Trent were sentenced to a total of 20 years for their part in an identity fraud scam. The court found that their benefit from this crime was £402,807 and confiscation orders totalling £394,500 were made. All four pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud charges.
Detectives from Staffordshire Police Financial Investigation Unit were alerted to the crimes when two of the men came through Birmingham Airport with a number of false passports on 15 May 2005. Subsequent house searches and investigations,uncovered more than 70 false accounts including credit cards and bank loans. Money was then removed from the accounts and used to purchase a number of properties in the Burton area.
Staffordshire Police FIU also secured a confiscation order for £18,475 at Stafford Crown Court on the 24th February 2006. The order was made against a man who had been sentenced to 2½ years imprisonment, after he had admitted obtaining £20,100 from his neighbour by deceiving them into thinking that it would be invested and was making high returns. He in fact used the money to fund his lifestyle and love of gambling.
Equity from the sale of a property was restrained and the defendant’s share of the equity was ordered to be confiscated and paid out as compensation to the victim. DS Jones said, ‘It was satisfying to know that the Proceeds of Crime legislation was ensuring that the victim of this crime received compensation by using the confiscation regime. This will only enhance public confidence in the Judicial system. For too long victims have seen criminals get away without compensating victims of crime. Allowing criminals to retain assets when the victims are often forced into hardship through being a victim of crime is morally wrong.”