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3 clusters · 7 sources · 13 days · First seen · Last updated

PPE fraud sentencing

Overview

A multi-million-pound personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud scheme involving the sale of non-existent nitrile gloves to companies in the United States and Germany has resulted in prison sentences for several individuals.

Following a five-week trial at Leicester Crown Court, Jogesh Bhandari, 59, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Prosecutors identified him as the “driving force and the instigator” of the scheme. His wife, Meenakashi Bhandari, 58, received a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours of unpaid work for her involvement in concealing and transferring criminal property.

Craig Morris, 43, a former school governor who acted on behalf of the couple’s business to make fraudulent representations, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

A National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation revealed that the group exploited the high demand for medical supplies during the pandemic to finance luxury lifestyles, including high-end vehicles, jewelry, and property renovations. In one specific transaction, Bhandari received more than $3.18 million for nitrile gloves intended for hospitals in the United States that were never delivered. The NCA noted that the defendants targeted legitimate businesses during a period of global uncertainty, causing significant financial losses while healthcare facilities lacked vital equipment.

Entities

Craig Morris · Meenakashi Bhandari · Jogesh Bhandari · Banton · Leicester Crown Court

Timeline

  1. [CRIME] 4 sources
    UK court sentences Indian-origin couple for COVID-19 PPE fraud

    A UK court has sentenced Jogesh Bhandari to eight years in prison, his wife to a suspended sentence, and an associate to prison for a COVID-19 PPE fraud and money laundering scheme.

  2. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Jogesh Bhandari jailed for multi-million-pound PPE fraud

    Jogesh Bhandari has been jailed for eight years following a multi-million-pound PPE fraud scheme during the pandemic that targeted US and German companies.

  3. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Craig Morris jailed for multi-million pound PPE fraud

    Former school governor Craig Morris has been jailed for over three years for his role in a multi-million-pound PPE fraud scheme targeting US and German companies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sources

bbc.co.uk · easterneye.biz · kalingatv.com · metro.co.uk · news18.com · newsmobile.in · tdpelmedia.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history