Rogue landlord jailed for fake HMO documents
A rogue landlord from Luton has been jailed, following being found guilty of six counts of fraud.
Mr Moses Ogoe obtained properties using false documents. He then proceeded to covert these properties into HMO’s, before letting them and falsely posing as the landlord.
Claims
In total, Mr Ogoe pretended to be the landlord for seven properties, even pretending to be landlord when on court bail!
When obtaining the property, Ogoe produced fake documents, claiming his profession was a doctor, catering manager and security manager. Mr Ogoe’s actual profession was a temporary security guard.
On numerous occasions, Ogoe evicted tenants without notice if they did not pay an increase in rent immediately.
Throughout the duration of the investigation, Mr Ogoe maintained his innocence and reportedly refused to co-operate with officers. However, on the first day of the trial, he changed his plea to guilty.
Rogue landlord jailed after fake HMO document
Greed
Upon sentencing Ogoe, his honour Judge Kay said, ‘you saw an opportunity to rent relatively sizeable properties and sublet them to desperate individuals who needed somewhere to live. You were not providing a public service because you did this for greed. You defrauded them as you did not provide a genuine tenancy and the protection that would give.’[1]
Before this sentencing, Mr Ogoe had received a caution, relating to housing offences under the Housing Act for one of the illegally converted properties.
Ogoe was sentenced to 16 months in prison and told to pay a total of £7,500 in costs. In addition, the judge ordered the computers on which the fake documents used to obtain the property were produced to be forfeited.
[1] https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2016/4/fake-landlord-claim-and-false-hmo-documents-lead-to-prison-term
