Tenth man jailed for £3m Covid fraud amid claim he was ‘used’ by Birmingham gang to buy flash Audi

Birmingham: So, there’s been quite a scandal in Birmingham. A group of guys got caught up in a Covid-19 funding fraud that racked up around £3 million. Recently, two of them were sentenced, with one going to jail and the other getting a suspended sentence.

These guys were part of a larger crew that made fake applications for various government grants and loans during the pandemic. They were pretty clever about it, using over 50 companies and a ton of bank accounts to wash the money. Some even splurged on flashy cars like Audis and took trips to Dubai.

Harun Shehzad, one of the men sentenced, got three years and seven months behind bars. His buddy Zishan Ahmed received a two-year suspended sentence. Shehzad’s lawyer argued that he was just a pawn in the whole scheme, saying he didn’t really know what was going on.

The judge wasn’t having it, though. He pointed out that this was a serious fraud, especially during a time when people really needed help. It’s wild to think how some people took advantage of the situation. The whole thing has left a mark on the community, and the Birmingham City Council did a commendable job investigating it.