Indian-Origin Couple Jailed Over COVID Protective Gear Fraud In UK
Indian-origin businessman Jogesh Bhandari was jailed for eight years for COVID-era PPE fraud and money laundering, while his wife received a suspended sentence.
London: An Indian-origin couple have been jailed in the UK for fraudulently claiming to be able to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID pandemic and then illegally laundering the funds. Jogesh Bhandari, 59, and Meenakashi (Meena) Bhandari, 58, were found guilty of several counts of fraud and money laundering after a five-week trial at Leicester Crown Court in July.
While his wife was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours of unpaid community work on October 7, Bhandari failed to appear in court, claiming health issues. He was ultimately sentenced to eight years' imprisonment last week after the judge ordered his arrest.
Craig Morris, 43, found to have made representations on behalf of the couple's company in numerous fraudulent deals in 2020 and 2021, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, alongside Meena earlier this month.
"These defendants took an opportunity to target legitimate businesses and line their own pockets for a lavish lifestyle during a pandemic that caused uncertainty around the world," said Paul Boniface, operations manager at the National Crime Agency (NCA) - which investigated the fraud.
"While Bhandari was picking up his brand new luxury car and talking about how he couldn't stop smiling, healthcare facilities had not received the vital PPE they needed at a time when demand was exponential and companies were millions of dollars out of pocket.
"These sentences recognise that their selfish actions caused far reaching effects, far beyond the immediate losses for the legitimate businesses involved," he said.
The NCA's investigation discovered that the group spent hundreds of thousands of pounds they received for PPE supplies on house renovations and luxury cars.
"The NCA will continue to target fraudsters like these who cause significant harm to the UK economy," added Boniface.
The agency's probe revealed that Bhandari owned and controlled a company set up in 2020 to buy and sell nitrile gloves during the pandemic.
In early 2021, the NCA discovered he was paid more than 3.18 million dollars for an order of nitrile gloves to be delivered to US hospitals that were never delivered. His final fraud took place in late 2021 when Bhandari persuaded a supplier he was a big player in the PPE industry and had access to hundreds of millions of dollars.
"The company agreed to a deal worth 1.8 billion dollars and Labruzzo provided a fraudulent letter to state Bhandari had deposited 35 million dollars as a security against the first delivery. The company then paid 1.35 million dollars for the first two planned shipments," the NCA said.
In the final deal, Bhandari was found to have received the 1.35 million dollars straight into a business account controlled by his wife from which they bought a new Porsche and used other amounts for kitchen refurbishment and extensive improvements on their home.
"As well as paying off debts, bank records showed the Bhandaris spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on Rolexes and other luxury watches, jewellery, cars including an Audi A5, a Land Rover Discovery and a VW Golf, and worldwide luxury travel and holiday packages. None of the money was used for its intended purpose," the NCA concluded.
