Key facts
- Fraudsters involved in a PPE scam during the Covid-19 pandemic were convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and related offenses.
- Jogesh Bhandari, Craig Morris, and Meenakashi Bhandari were convicted at Leicester Crown Court.
- The group claimed to supply millions of nitrile gloves, using forged documents and a fraudulent escrow service.
- The fraudsters spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury cars, watches, jewelry, and home renovations.
- Jogesh Bhandari spent £126,000 on a new Porsche and funded kitchen renovations.
- Frank Labruzzo, a US assistant attorney general, was involved in providing a fraudulent escrow service.
Fraudsters who orchestrated a personal protective equipment (PPE) scam during the Covid-19 pandemic have been convicted of spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury items, including cars and watches. Jogesh Bhandari, 59, Craig Morris, 43, and Meenakashi Bhandari, 48, were found guilty at Leicester Crown Court following a trial.
The group claimed they could supply millions of boxes of nitrile gloves. According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), bank records revealed that Jogesh Bhandari and his wife, Meenakashi Bhandari, used the illicit funds to purchase Rolexes, jewelry, holiday packages, and vehicles. Jogesh Bhandari alone spent £126,000 on a new Porsche, with other funds used for home renovations.
Jogesh Bhandari controlled a company established in 2020 to trade nitrile gloves, while Morris played a role in fraudulent deals between 2020 and 2021. The NCA stated that Jogesh Bhandari supplied forged documents, including bank statements showing up to $125 million, to persuade businesses to engage in trade. WhatsApp messages between Jogesh Bhandari and Morris indicated their intent to profit from the PPE shortage.
Morris had anticipated regular £5,000 payments from Jogesh Bhandari before their association ended in late 2021. The NCA detailed that Jogesh Bhandari collaborated with Frank Labruzzo, a US assistant attorney general, who provided a fraudulent escrow service. This service allowed funds to be immediately transferred to Labruzzo and Jogesh, rather than being held until deal completion.
Jogesh Bhandari's fraud commenced in November 2020 with an agreement to supply 12 million boxes of gloves. He later received over $2.7 million into the escrow account, from which nearly $500,000 was withdrawn to settle personal debts. In early 2021, he was paid more than $3.18 million for an order of nitrile gloves destined for US hospitals that were never delivered. In his final transaction, Jogesh Bhandari received $1.35 million directly into his business account, subsequently sending £200,000 to Morris and purchasing a Porsche. All three defendants were arrested in February 2023. Labruzzo and another individual were convicted in the US.