Mohammed Ahmed still owes his bank almost £50,000 following the scam.
The money was paid into Mohammed Shalim Ahmed’s bank account after his friends, Alia Arain and Ashad Adams, forged the signature of the landlady after a chequebook was sent to their home by mistake.
Ahmed, 40, of Cherry Tree Close, was found guilty of money laundering and converting criminal property at Inner London Crown Court.
He was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work.
Ahmed spent some of the money from the fraud on a £10,450 Rolex watch.
Acting Commander Alexis Boon, from the Met Police, said: “Much to Ahmed’s chagrin, the bank did not clear the cheque, leaving Ahmed more than £40,000 overdrawn.
“Ahmed, realising he would have to pay off the overdraft, had the audacity to call the money crime hotline Action Fraud and claim he had been a victim of fraud.”
Miss Arain, 38, was a magistrate prior to committing the fraud.
She was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. She must carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £140.
Her boyfriend, Ashad Adams, 40, was sentenced to a total of three years’ and three months’ imprisonment years, having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, converting criminal property, possession of drugs and breaching a suspended sentence. He must also pay a victim surcharge of £170.
Acting Commander Boon, said: “The group’s scheme quickly began falling apart when Adams and Ahmed tried to launder a large portion of the cash by changing into Euros at a money exchange bureau in Heathrow Airport. The staff were rightly suspicious and called the police who from that point began unpicking the group’s criminality.
“This group wholeheartedly believed they would pull off their crime and end up with a third of the proceeds each, but they didn’t count on the diligence of money exchange bureau staff.
“The actions of staff at the money exchange bureau were superb. They have helped ensure that a considerable fraud was stopped and the culprits held to account.
“The victim has been reimbursed the money by her bank, meanwhile Ahmed continues to owe almost £50,000 to his bank.”
Tags: Havering, Rainham