Two Coventry men jailed for 6+ years for part in tax scam

Two men from Coventry have started prison sentences and are set to lose nearly £4 million pounds for their part in an international crime ring.


Birmingham Crown Court

In all 17 men have been jailed for a total of 59 years for their parts in the scam, which centred on VAT fraud and money laundering.

The cash they illegally got back after cheating the taxman was stored in businesses set up in five different countries.

The money was used to pay for a lifestyle that included luxury cars and ringside tickets to the 2002 World title boxing fight between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.

In July 2002, in one of the largest operations ever undertaken by Revenue and Customs, some 200 officers targetted private and business addresses and arrested and charged the men.

55-year old Leroy McIntosh from Berkswell Hall on Meriden Road has started a five-year sentence after being convicted of Conspiracy to Cheat the Public Revenue. Police have also successfully applied for a confiscation order meaning they can take £3.67 million pounds he earnt from his crimes off him.

Raghbir Singh Hayer, who’s 58 and from Grangemouth Road in Radford will spend 18 months in prison and will have £100,651 taken away from him after admitting money laundering.

Adrian Farley, Assistant Director for HMRC said: “This was theft of revenue needed to fund our country’s public services but instead it fuelled their elaborate lifestyles. ‘Missing trader’ fraud is not merely a paper fraud but often features links to other forms of criminal activity such as drug smuggling and violent crime.”