Fraudster ordered to pay £265,000 over fraudulent mortgage

Court - Dhami pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud <i>(Image: Canva)</i>
Court - Dhami pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud (Image: Canva)
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A convicted fraudster has been ordered to repay £265,000 after using a fake mortgage to buy a property.

Parmjit Dhami, from Hornchurch in Essex, secured a mortgage in 2010 using false information about his business and income to purchase a property in Ilford.

The Crown Prosecution Service secured £265,000 through civil recovery proceedings.

Tom Oates, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said: "This case demonstrates that a criminal conviction and confiscation order may not be the end of our efforts to recover the ill-gotten gains of convicted criminals.

"After securing payment of a £146,150 confiscation order relating to one fraudulent mortgage, our specialist prosecutors pursued separate civil recovery proceedings concerning the property bought with the earlier mortgage.

"As a result, a further £265,000 has now been recovered.

"We will continue to use the full range of powers available under the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure that those who benefit from unlawful conduct do not retain those assets."

Dhami pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud at Birmingham Crown Court and received a nine-month suspended sentence.

He paid a £146,150 confiscation order in full under Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division then began civil recovery proceedings over the Ilford property.

The CPS brought a claim in the High Court seeking a civil recovery order over 85 per cent of the equity in the property, reflecting the portion purchased with the fraudulent mortgage.

The remaining 15 per cent was considered to have been acquired with a legitimate deposit.

The court ordered Dhami and his wife, who claimed an interest in the property, to pay £265,000 within three months.

They paid the full amount within three months.

In 2014, Dhami used a second fraudulent mortgage to buy a family home in Hornchurch.

He used a mortgage broker based in the West Midlands, who was later investigated by the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit.

The broker and four clients, including Dhami, were prosecuted for conspiring to commit fraud.

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