Bogus planning agent jailed after duping residents
A BOGUS planning agent has been jailed after seeking to defraud residents in Wolverhampton.
Harjit Singh Marwaha, of Bee Lane, Fordhouses, was sentenced at Stoke Crown Court after being found guilty at an earlier hearing of deceiving city residents while claiming to be a planning agent.
He was handed a 56-week custodial sentence, with at least half to be served in prison.
Marwaha received 24 weeks for four counts of fraud by misrepresentation in relation to forged planning documents, plus eight weeks for breach of his suspended sentence for a previous offence.
He was also given eight weeks for four counts of not complying with Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, to run concurrently.
In addition, he was prosecuted for two further fraud matters, for which he received 24 weeks for by misrepresentation and six weeks for making an article to be used in fraud; again to run concurrently.
City of Wolverhampton Council said it hoped the jailing of the man would act as a strong deterrent in the fight to protect consumers in the city.
Cllr Steve Evans, cabinet member for City Environment, said: “The council takes consumer protection very seriously and will always act to prosecute those who look to commit fraud against our residents.
“The unscrupulous should not be under any illusion; if you are perpetrating acts of fraud against consumers then you will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The case was brought after the council’s trading standards team acted on two complaints, in March and July 2015, from residents who had handed money over to Marwaha to progress building plans on their homes, believing he was a planning agent.
In June he was found guilty by Wolverhampton Magistrates Court of fraud by false representation, engaging in a commercial practice which is misleading, and knowingly or recklessly engaging in a commercial practice.
