Two men and a woman have been convicted of fraud after a scheme involving personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which they allegedly spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury items. Jogesh Bhandari, 59, his wife Meenakshi Bhandari, 48, and Craig Morris, 43, were found guilty on Wednesday at Leicester Crown Court following a trial.
The group claimed they could supply millions of boxes of nitrile gloves. The National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that bank records revealed Jogesh Bhandari and his wife used the illicit funds to purchase Rolex watches, jewelry, holiday packages, and vehicles. Jogesh Bhandari alone spent £126,000 on a new Porsche, with additional funds used for a home renovation, including a kitchen upgrade.
Jogesh Bhandari owned and managed a company established in 2020 for the purchase and sale of nitrile gloves. Morris reportedly assisted in several fraudulent transactions between 2020 and 2021. According to the NCA, Jogesh Bhandari presented forged documents, including bank statements showing balances up to $125 million and letters of attestation, to persuade potential suppliers to engage in business.
The three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on August 21. Meenakshi Bhandari was found guilty of concealing and transferring criminal property, while Jogesh Bhandari and Morris were convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, as well as concealing and transferring criminal property. 
