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Five men have been sentenced for their involvement in a £1m fraud scheme targeting vulnerable homeowners. The group of home improvement scammers claimed to be part of a government energy efficiency initiative and were found to have swindled cash from victims in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The fraudsters were aided by the endorsement of late EastEnders actress June Brown, who had helped advertise the brand. Brown was unaware of the group’s illegal activities, according to trading standards.
The group, who used fake names to disguise themselves, were charged with fraudulent trading and participating in a fraudulent business. They were said to have misled people into paying large sums for substandard workmanship or repairs, leaving many in structurally unstable properties with no means of rectifying the damage. Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, condemned the actions of the fraudulent group and the damage brought to the properties.
Zulkernan Mahmood, 36, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, received the largest sentence of six years and four months in prison. He was also banned from serving as a director for 14 years and handed a 10-year criminal behaviour order. Rehan Yousaf, 47, from the same area was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars, to run concurrently with another sentence of seven years and eleven months. Yousaf was further banned from serving as a director for twelve years and given a 10-year criminal behaviour order.
Jonathan O’Grady, 37, of Bridlington, was found guilty of participating in a fraudulent business scheme but was given a two-year suspended sentence and 220 unpaid hours of work. He was also banned from serving as a director for six years. David Goody, 54, from Bradford admitted participation in a fraudulent business and received a three-year ban from serving as a director. He was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.
The multiple convictions came after an investigation led by Trading Standards officers from York City Council
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