Organised crime gang sentenced for £208,000 ‘faux’ roofing work rip-off | UK | News | EUROtoday

An organised crime gang that precipitated harm to roofs after which tried to cost extortionate quantities for restore work has been sentenced to a mixed complete of 13 years and 6 months. Eight members of the gang have been behind the rip-off to try to defraud susceptible residents out of £208,000. Their victims in complete misplaced greater than £133,000 as they have been charged for roofing work that was pointless and overpriced and in some instances even compelled to pay for harm precipitated intentionally to the roofs by the crooks earlier than demanding cost to ‘fix’ it.

Gang chief Arthur Draper, 41, and accomplices John Smith, 45, of Newark, Nottinghamshire and Jake Garrigan, 29, of Thorne, Doncaster, carried out the dodgy work and have been discovered responsible of offences underneath the Fraud Act 2006 at Leicester Crown Court earlier this 12 months. They have been additionally discovered responsible of cash laundering underneath the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

An additional suspect and alleged employee within the case, Jason Moore, 44 of no mounted handle, failed to seem earlier than the courtroom and stays on the run and is needed by Leicestershire Police.

Between November 2019 and March 2020, the conmen focused susceptible, usually aged or disabled, residents at their properties in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire, chilly calling them and claiming that work was wanted on their properties to restore small roofing issues, that in some instances didn’t even exist. Once the gang had recognized their victims, they might stress them into agreeing to additional work, generally by intentionally damaging the property, usually the roof, leaving it insecure and susceptible to the climate.

Due to the tactic of figuring out low-cost remedial work, varied customary practices reminiscent of cooling-off intervals, contracts, or different paperwork weren’t provided or equipped. The fraudsters additionally hid their identities through the use of false names, addresses, completely different firm identities and phone numbers.

Work that was carried out was undertaken to a poor customary and the cash that was charged was at grossly extreme charges. Many of the owners needed to spend hundreds of kilos on authentic builders to rectify the harm attributable to the conmen and one property was left uninhabitable by the fraudsters. Victims additionally reported being subjected to hostile and intimidating behaviour from the gang after they questioned them concerning the mounting prices and incomplete work.

The group of criminals had a community of associates made up of six relations and buddies, whose financial institution accounts they used to launder the proceeds of their fraudulent exercise. Adam Pegg, 41, of Leicester, Natasha Power, 44, of Leicester, Colin Bell, 55 of Doncaster, Bradley Freeman, 25, of Doncaster and Wendy Pegg, 59, of Leicester have been all discovered responsible of cash laundering underneath the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Arthur Draper was jailed for six years and 4 months, while John William Smith obtained 22 months behind bars, suspended for 2 years.

Jake Garrigan, Adam Pegg and Natasha Power have been all jailed for 14 months, suspended for two years, while Colin Bell and Bradley Freeman obtained custodial sentences of 4 months, suspended for 12 months.

Wendy Pegg was handed a custody sentence of 16 months, suspended for 18 months.

The eight defendants have been prosecuted following an investigation led by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigations Team East Midlands, hosted by Nottinghamshire County Council, which helps Trading Standards Authorities inside the area.  In bringing the case further assist was obtained from Leicester Police, Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards, Derbyshire County Council Trading Standards, Lincolnshire County Council Trading Standards and Nottingham City Council.

Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, stated: “Trading Standards officers have exposed and brought a stop to criminals who used lies and deceit to gain access to properties and defraud people out of many thousands of pounds. On occasion the offenders deliberately sabotaged the very homes they were paid to repair, in one case even cutting away a perfectly sound section of roof and throwing it the ground. This investigation has prevented further harm, safeguarded vulnerable people, and sent a clear message that such ruthless behaviour will not be tolerated.

“If you suspect you or someone you know might have been targeted by a scam like this, you should report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.”

Councillor Dawn Justice, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, stated: “We would like to thank all the victims who worked with our investigators to help bring these unscrupulous conmen to trial. These sentences send a strong message to fraudsters that this type of activity will not be tolerated.

“We always advise residents to be alert to cold calling, never to trade or buy at the door and to always report any concerns. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t, and you should never be afraid to close the door on scammers and those who turn up out of the blue offering to provide services that you do not need.”