AN ILLEGAL migrant fleeced victims out of £8.5million and splashed out on 19 supercars and a speedboat in a property con.
Married dad Anopkumar Maudhoo, 46, made the money by “cruelly manipulating” 45 victims into buying homes he did not own across London and the South East.
Central NewsAnopkumar Maudhoo fleeced victims out of £8.5million and splashed out on 19 supercars and a speedboat in a property con[/caption]
Central NewsThe fraudster used his victims’ money to buy 19 supercars[/caption]
Central NewsAnopkumar Maudhoo’s boat he bought with his victims’ cash[/caption]
He then used their money to fund his “extravagant” lifestyle, buying a yacht and 19 flashy supercars.
These included two Lamborghinis for £873,000, five Aston Martins worth more than £1.2million, two Bentleys worth £443,000, a Rolls Royce and a Porsche.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Maudhoo – who went under several false names – also sought to buy another boat named Mistaken Identity for £665,000.
He planned to moor it at St Katherine’s Dock below his posh £6,000-a-month East London flat.
Maudhoo was previously found to be in the country illegally and should have been deported in 2010.
FAKE IDENTITIES
Maudhoo was referred to in court as Vincent LeBeouf, one of his many aliases.
He also went by names such as Vincent Collin, Hamid Collin, Yusuf Khan, Hamid Khan and Rossello Di Paolo and used his different identities to evade the police and immigration authorities.
Maudhoo use faked documents and solicitors’ stamps in the fraud, which allowed him to live a life of luxury.
Following his arrest in September last year, Maudhoo told police his name was Pascal Burns and produced a Portuguese driving licence in that name.
Cops swooped on him after discovering that he had been running the large-scale scam offering investment opportunities in repossessed properties.
But in reality the houses were not under repossession proceedings and the genuine owners were unaware of the fraudulent sales.
In some cases, the properties were rentals that Maudhoo was acting as an agent for.
In others, the true owners were left shocked when the supposed new proprietors showed up at their front door thinking the property was now theirs.
Those who were scammed included both experienced property investors and mothers and fathers trying to secure a future for their children.
Two buyers were led to believe they had purchased a house in exclusive Eaton Terrace, Belgravia, where homes can fetch well over £10m.
Married father-of-three Maudhoo lived in a £6,000-a-month apartment in Wapping, East London, and bought a £3million property in Radlett, Hertfordshire.
Maudhoo also rented a £2,500-a-month office in Knightsbridge for a fake law firm registered under his alias Pascal Burns.
He used faked documents and solicitors’ stamps in the fraud.
Investigators found he had falsely sold 75 properties or development plots, with victims located across north London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Essex.
Originally from Mauritius, he admitted 31 charges including 14 counts of fraud by false representation.
The offences against six victims took place between April 2021 and December 2024.
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.
A further 45 offences of fraud by false representation against 39 victims are due to be taken into account by judge Mr Recorder Zane Malik KC when he passes sentence today.
‘I’LL NEVER RECOVER’
Some victims were in court for Maudhoo’s sentencing hearing while others had victim impact statements read out in court by prosecutor Simon Wilshire KC.
Zayn Ahmed, who lost £230,000, said in a statement that the scam had a “profound and devastating impact” leading to “sleepless nights and deep emotional distress”.
Mr Ahmed said: “I placed my trust in him believing him to be a genuine individual but was left emotionally and financially shattered.
“I felt humiliated by being taken in by someone I believed to be honest
“It has also deeply affected my family and the stress and emotional strain have taken a toll on our relationships.
“The financial blow has been devastating and I fear I may never recover from it.”
Another victim said he had suffered a stroke after the devastating blow of the scam, while a third said: “It didn’t just rob me of my life savings but my sense of stability.”
Maudhoo – who had 25 previous convictions for fraud, handling stolen goods and false identity offences – appeared in the dock wearing a grey T-shirt.
Prosecutor Simon Wilshire KC said Maudhoo had a “history of organised defrauding people in a sophisticated way”.
Mr Wilshire added: “Even when arrested he showed no genuine remorse and desire to try to change his ways.”
The fraud charges relate to the unlawful sales of properties in Ilford, Dartford, Greenwich, Bromley and Croydon as well as Luton in Bedfordshire and Winslow in Buckinghamshire.
The false documents relate to a solicitor’s stamp, a French national identity card, Irish passport, UK driving licence, UK national identity card, UK passport, French passport, Italian passport, Irish passport and Irish driving licence.
Maudhoo also amassed a collection of more than 20 personalised number plates linked to his many 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 Ojakovoh added in mitigation: “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.”
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.
“Our investigation has involved hours and hours of work as our teams picked through Maudhoo’s lies and attempted cover-ups.
“Victims in this case have lost significant sums of money, in some cases in excess of a million pounds, and we are continuing to work to ensure all of his assets are located, brought under police control, and used to repay those who Maudhoo targeted.”
BPMHe used their money to fund his “extravagant” lifestyle, buying a yacht and 19 supercars[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
