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Fraudster jailed over multi-million pound PPE scam
Overview
Craig Morris has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Northampton Crown Court for his role in a multi-million pound personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud during the Covid-19 pandemic. Morris and co-conspirator Jogesh Bhandari pretended to supply millions of boxes of nitrile gloves to companies in the US and Germany through a company called Banton, using the proceeds to fund luxury cars, holidays, and property. Jogesh Bhandari's sentencing was delayed and a bench warrant issued after he failed to attend, while his wife Meenakashi Bhandari received a two-year suspended sentence for concealing and transferring criminal property.
Key points
- Craig Morris was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
- The fraudsters pretended to supply millions of boxes of PPE to firms in the US and Germany during a period of acute shortage in the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Jogesh Bhandari was identified as the driving force of the scam, obtaining £1.75 million, while his wife Meenakashi laundered £960,000.
- Meenakashi Bhandari received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside unpaid work and rehabilitation.
- Jogesh Bhandari failed to attend the sentencing hearing, prompting the judge to issue a bench warrant.
- US attorney Frank Labruzzo assisted the fraud by providing a fraudulent escrow service and has already been convicted in the US.