Two men involved in a Covid-19 funding fraud plot worth up to £3m have learned their fate with one jailed and the other keeping his freedom. Harun Shehzad and Zishan Ahmed were the last of 12 men sentenced for the conspiracy.
The Birmingham-based group made fraudulent applications for small business grants, bounce back loans, the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and self-assessment payments following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
In December nine men were jailed for nearly 50 years while a tenth received a suspended sentence. Shehzad, 29, of City Road, Edgbaston and Ahmed, 30, of Higgins Lane, Quinton, both admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering.
READ MORE: Birmingham gang behind £2.4m Covid-19 fraud jailed for nearly 50 years
At Birmingham Crown Court today, Friday, January 10, Shehzad was sentenced to three years and seven months while Ahmed was sentenced to two years, suspended for 21 months
The gang, which operated out of an office in Digbeth, used more than 50 companies for the bogus funding bids and more than 100 bank and cryptocurrency accounts to launder the money. Some of them drove around in Audis and Volkswagens bought with the illegal proceeds.
They also jetted off to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. In total the fraud was worth between £2.3m and £3m.
Harun Shehzad
(Image: Birmingham City Council)
Ayoub Khan, defending Shehzad, argued the married father was ‘used’ by others in the gang. He told the court an Audi S line purchased using his account was actually driven by others, while he conceded around £300,000 was laundered through his bank.
The barrister said: “People get used in conspiracies. They don’t sometimes know the full extent. A dormant account registered to him was used in this fraud.
“The Crown can’t be sure this defendant was in control of that bank account when money was being laundered through it. His mobile phone number was used in a number of fraudulent applications.
“It’s indicative of someone being used in the conspiracy. All roads led to Harun Shehzad’s bank account registered to him.”
Mr Khan added that Shehzad was ‘deeply remorseful’, had done charitable work prior to the fraud and was ‘impressionable’. Sean Minihan, mitigating for Ahmed, disputed the prosecution’s case his client played a ‘vital’ role in the racket.
Zishan Ahmed
(Image: Birmingham City Council)
He said: “It can’t be said he was absolutely necessary or essential to ensure its continued existence. There were clearly others, albeit closely related to him, who were much more vital to the conspiracy.”
The barrister argued that Ahmed had simply allowed his bank account and telephone number to be used by others ‘higher up in the chain’. Mr Minihan added he was of previous good character and was trying to start a family with his wife.
Judge Roderick Henderson, who passed sentence, had previously commented on the case saying: “This was a persistent and sophisticated fraud involving stealing large amounts of money from the community at the time of national emergency.
“The urgency of the situation meant money was paid out with very few checks. These defendants saw this and cashed in.”
He also commended Birmingham City Council’s investigation of the case. The ten other defendants were sentenced as follows:
Centre: Qirat Deeas. Clockwise from top left: Ummer Yousaf, Sajid Hussain, Tassaddaq Hussain, Usaamah Bin Taariq, Noah Deen, Sameer Ali Mohammed, Imaan Hussain and Naqeeb Shakurt.
Qirat Deeas, aged 51, of The Hurst, in Moseley, Birmingham, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to seven years and seven months.
Ummer Yousaf, aged 40, of Bent Avenue, Quinton, Birmingham, was found guilty of two counts each of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering as well as a charge of failing to comply with a RIPA notice. He was sentenced to eight years.
Sajid Hussain, aged 36, of Flackwell Road, Erdington, Birmingham, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to five years.
Sameer Mohammed, aged 34, of Waterfront Way, Walsall, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to four years and nine months.
Noah Deen, aged 32, of Wood End Road, Erdington, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentence to five years and three months.
Usaamah Bin Taariq, aged 26, of The Hurst, in Moseley, Birmingham, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to four years.
Tassadaq Hussain, aged 54, of Northfield Crescent, Bingley, Bradford, admitted one count each of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering. He was sentenced to four years and nine months.
Imaan Hussain, aged 24, of Northfield Crescent, Bingley, Bradford, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to four years and nine months.
Naqeeb Shakurt, aged 26, of Springcroft Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to four years and nine months.
Al-Harris Hussain, aged 30, of Thornbury Grove, Bingley, Bradford, was found guilty of one offence of money laundering. He was sentenced to two years suspended for two years.