The Northampton Crown Court has announced sentences for two of the three-member group for committing a multi-million-pound fraud involving the supply of Covid protection equipment to the US and Germany.
The three fraudsters, including a couple, have been identified as Jogesh Bhandari (59), the prime architect, his wife Meenakshi Bhandari (58), a former pharmacist, both residents of Mitchell Drive in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and Craig Morris (43), fromSt Annes, Lancashire.
While Morris was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment, Meenakshi was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence. Jogesh Bhandari will be sentenced separately on 16 October.
Morris was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and money laundering.
Bhandari was convicted for fraudulently obtaining and retaining £1.75 million, and his wife for laundering £960,000 of illicit funds through family and business accounts under her control.
Using the criminal proceeds, they bought luxury cars, holidays and a new home.
The trio exploited global PPE shortages in 2020 and 2021 by posing as distributors, capable of supplying tens of millions of medical nitrile gloves.
They floated a company called Banton and defrauded a US company Med18 and German firm MedTech by sending contracts for nitrile gloves, which they did not have.
Bhandari told his counsel he was taking a "very extreme painkiller" after having a pacemaker fitted last week and was not able to travel to Northampton, where the sentencing hearing took place.
Meenakshi attended the sentencing hearing.
While delivering the sentences, Judge William Harbage KC condemned their actions during a period of national emergency.
He said: "All of us had to make sacrifices and pull together for the good of society as a whole. There were a few people though who sought to exploit that to make money for themselves, motivated by greed. I’m satisfied Jogesh Bhandari and Craig Morris fall into that category."
The judge also said there was "no medical evidence" to properly explain Jogesh's absence and a bench warrant would be issued.
