A property fraudster who swindled victims out of £8.5million through an elaborate housing scam has received a ten-year prison sentence.
Anopkumar Maudhoo, a Mauritian national residing illegally in Britain, was convicted after admitting to 31 charges at Southwark Crown Court.
The conman, who should have been removed from the country in 2010, orchestrated one of the UK's largest property frauds.
He defrauded 45 individuals by purporting to sell properties across London and southeast England that he had no legal right to sell.
Maudhoo operated under numerous false identities including Vincent LeBeouf, Pascal Burns, and Rossello Di Paolo.
He had been evading immigration authorities since 2016 when he stopped reporting to police as required.
The fraudster's scheme involved convincing investors they could purchase repossessed properties at below-market rates or invest in land development projects.
However, these properties were never actually subject to repossession proceedings, and the legitimate owners had no knowledge of any sales.
Anopkumar Maudhoo has been jailed for 10 years
|REGIONAL ORGANISED CRIME UNIT
Maudhoo fabricated legal documents and forged solicitors' stamps to lend credibility to his deception.
Some properties were rental units he managed through his companies, whilst others were simply homes advertised online or occupied by their rightful owners.
The scale of the deception became apparent when unsuspecting buyers arrived at properties, only to be confronted by the actual owners.
In one instance, two separate purchasers bought the same property in Belgravia's Eaton Terrace, where houses command prices exceeding £10million.
Maudhoo admitted 31 charges including 14 counts of fraud by false representation.
|WIKIMEDIA
The fraud's impact on victims has been catastrophic, with many describing profound financial and emotional devastation.
Zayn Ahmed, who lost £230,000, stated the scam had a "profound and devastating impact" causing "sleepless nights and deep emotional distress."
"I placed my trust in him believing him to be a genuine individual but was left emotionally and financially shattered," Ahmed told the court.
He described feeling "humiliated" and feared he "may never recover" from the financial blow, noting the strain on family relationships.
Another victim reported that "the scam did not just rob me of my life savings, it stole my sense of stability and future for my family."
One elderly victim attributed suffering a stroke to the stress and anxiety caused by the fraud. The fraud proceeds funded an extravagant lifestyle, with Maudhoo acquiring 19 luxury vehicles including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins.
He also purchased a £97,000 Magnum speedboat and amassed over 20 personalised number plates referencing his various false identities.
Defending, John Ojakovoh told the court: "May I on Mr LeBeouf's behalf apologise to the victims in this case, both those on the indictment and those in the offences taken into consideration...Mr LeBeouf has been married for 14 years and has a family.
"He has a child with his wife and two other children who form a family unit and a stepson so this is a separation from a father and a husband for them...I am sure the court will bear that in mind."
Authorities have recovered some assets, but Interpol has issued a Silver Notice to trace remaining funds globally.
When arrested in September last year, Maudhoo initially claimed to be Pascal Burns and presented a Portuguese driving licence under that name.
Maudhoo also pleaded guilty to 16 counts of possessing a false identity document with improper intention and one count of perverting the course of justice.
Detective Inspector Damian Barlow, from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, said: "The scale of Maudhoo's offending is truly shocking, and what stood out as we pieced together this investigation is that he paid absolutely no regard to those he was defrauding.
"Put simply, he was purely focused on taking victims' cash and using it to fund his lavish lifestyle."