Recent Cases

• Operation Major [Guildford] 2019

  Multi handed conspiracy to money launder and commit fraud

  Ben Holt acted for the Crown in this seven-handed conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a two-million-pound fraud. Instructed by CPS Specialist Fraud Division. Led by Jonathan Polnay.

• Operation Pearland [Isleworth] 2018

  £7 million Ponzi Fraud Scheme

  Ben Holt led Junior counsel in Prosecution of two defendants accused of a ‘Ponzi’ fraud. Losses amongst the defendants exceeded £7m. Both defendants convicted after trial. Both received the maximum sentence available – 10 years’ imprisonment.

• R v. McLeod & ors [Croydon] 2018

  £700K fraud against the Redundancy Payments Service

  William Davis led in the prosecution of a group of accountants who committed a £700K fraud against the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), a government agency that makes payments to workers owed money when their employers become insolvent. The Defendants arranged for 105 false applications to be submitted, in some cases supported by false identifies and forged documents. This was the first ever prosecution for fraud against the RPS. In a separate investigation, William Davis again led in the prosecution of Lennox McLeod for a VAT fraud committed during the same period as the RPS case. The defendant took over the VAT affairs of a company after the death of its director and falsely claimed over £100K in VAT refunds.

  HMRC press release here:

   

• R v. Rekaya [Isleworth] 2018

  Prosecution of £90,000 Grenfell fraudster

  Catherine Farrelly successfully prosecuted a man who ran up nearly £90,000 in accommodation and travel costs, after pretending to be a victim of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

  He was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment.

  The news report may be found here.

• Operation Eric [Chelmsford] 2018

  £3.6m Alcohol duty & VAT evasion fraud

  William Davis led Dickon Reid in the prosecution of five defendants charged with a £3.6m alcohol duty and VAT evasion fraud. The ringleaders were importing beer, wine and spirits from Europe using sophisticated mirror loads. Evidentially, the case was complicated and comprised numerous strands including surveillance, phone evidence, CCTV, business records and expert evidence relating to cell site, handwriting and tachographs. The two leading defendants received sentences close to the statutory maximum. Instructed by CPS Special Casework.

  News Report Here

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Notable Cases

• In the matter of M [Southwark] 2018

  Manipulation of interbank benchmark rates

  Natasha Wong QC acted for former derivatives trader in regulatory proceedings brought by the FCA and in criminal proceedings involving the alleged dishonest manipulation of interbank benchmark rates. Instructed by Withers Worldwide/Sternberg Reed.

• Operation Lunar [Birmingham] 2017

  £Multi-Million HMRC Tax Avoidance Prosecution

  Sarah Forshaw QC and Robert Ellison acted in the defence of this defendant charged with 10 others of a multi-million pound  conspiracy to cheat HMRC. The fraud centred around multiple tax avoidance schemes. The charges were dismissed against our client following legal argument. The trial on the remaining defendants is listed for 6 months in 2019. Instructed by King and Spalding LLP.

• Operation Canon [Southwark] 2016

  £80m Ponzi Scheme

  Sarah Forshaw QC, instructed by the SFO, successfully prosecuted this £80m "Ponzi" scheme. The defendants purported to be a successful supplier of electrical goods such as light bulbs, air conditioning units, trouser presses and televisions to major hotel chains such as the Marriott and Hilton. They also falsely claimed to be the preferred supplier of the Olympic village, ahead of the 2012 Games.

  https://www.sfo.gov.uk/2016/05/24/ponzi-fraudsters-sentenced-total-21-years/

• Operation Cent [C.C.C.] 2013

  Anti-corruption unit worldwide investigation re: bomb detection units

  Jonathan Higgs QC leading Jonathan Polnay represented a defendant in the much publicised Old Bailey trial involving the worldwide sale of "fake" bomb detection devices. Instructed by Gary Bloxsome of Blackfords LLP.

  BBC news report here.

• HMRC v Peter Storrie [Southwark] 2011

  Former chief executive of Portsmouth City Football Club accused of cheating the public revenue

  Natasha Wong QC was junior trial counsel for acquitted former chief executive of Portsmouth City Football Club accused of cheating the public revenue. Instructed by Paul Martin & Co.