A trio consisting of a married couple and their associate orchestrated a scheme where they deceived prominent companies into paying large sums for Covid PPE supplies that were never delivered. Instead, they utilized the ill-gotten gains to indulge in luxury purchases like high-end vehicles, vacations, and home renovations.
Jogesh Bhandari, along with Craig Morris, embarked on this fraudulent venture by establishing their own enterprise in 2020 to profit from the pandemic crisis. The 59-year-old Bhandari and 43-year-old Morris were recently found guilty of multiple charges, including fraud conspiracy and money laundering, after a trial conducted by LeicestershireLive.
Meanwhile, Meenakashi Bhandari, aged 48, was convicted for her involvement in concealing and transferring criminal proceeds. The couple, based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, splurged lavishly on items such as Rolexes, jewelry, and a Porsche worth £126,000.
The convictions follow a scathing report from the Covid inquiry, which revealed the wastage of taxpayers’ money on substandard PPE. The fraudulent trio collaborated to capitalize on the PPE shortage, as evidenced by their exchanges of over 50,000 WhatsApp messages and emails during their criminal activities.
Moreover, investigations by the National Crime Agency unveiled Jogesh Bhandari’s collaboration with a corrupt US assistant attorney general, Frank Labruzzo, who facilitated a fraudulent escrow service. Bhandari engaged in a series of deceitful transactions, fabricating documents and misrepresenting his financial capacity to secure deals worth millions, none of which were fulfilled.
The trio’s fraudulent activities came to light after a falling out between the Bhandaris and Morris, leading to their arrest and subsequent trial. The court convicted them on various charges, and they are set to be sentenced on Friday, August 21.
Paul Boniface, the operations manager at the National Crime Agency, emphasized the detrimental impact of such fraud on the economy and legitimate businesses, pledging continued efforts to combat such illicit activities.