A fraudulent car dealership has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after confessing to defrauding customers by selling dangerous vehicles that seriously endangered their lives.
Mohammed Sajad, 24, has scammed at least 11 unsuspecting buyers, raising £58,000 from advertising ‘great’ used cars on various online platforms. However, the reality was a far cry from what he advertised as the vehicles were not fit for road traffic and, once repairs were taken into account, victims suffered losses in excess of £100,000, said the Birmingham Crown Court.
The court heard that between October 2019 and June 2021, 360 cars were delivered to Sajad’s residence by a single motor auction house, indicating the extent of its fraudulent activities, and marketed on sales platforms of cars, including Auto Trader, Gumtree, eBay and Facebook.
Sajad, of Yardley, operated under several business aliases, including Yew Tree Cars, Sam Harrison Cars and Lee Hudson Cars, the court heard.
The Birmingham Mail reports that Judge Tom Rochford found that only a custodial sentence was appropriate for the gravity of the crimes committed, pointing out that deception was the very foundation of Sajad’s fraudulent enterprise, and adding that it was unrealistic to assume that There were still no more victims of his dubious cases than the 11 instances involved in the legal proceedings.
Sajad, who had previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime and engaging in a money laundering arrangement at Birmingham Crown Court during a hearing previous sentence, was sentenced to a prison term of two years and 11 months.
In addition to the prison sentence, Sajad received a ten-year Criminal Behavior Order (CBO) barring him from selling cars in the future.
The court was told that the identified victims likely represented only a fraction of the defendant’s fraudulent activities, suggesting a broader scope of his offences. Judge Tom Rochford presiding over the case heard heartbreaking details including a customer who narrowly escaped tragedy due to a faulty fuel tank which could have caused an explosion at any time.
Prosecutor Mark Jackson, on behalf of Birmingham City Council which took the case to court, pointed out that Sajad and his alleged co-conspirators made sales under false trading names and identities, often using false misleading documents and service histories.
The majority of transactions were made online and over the phone, with the accused constantly using dishonest and deceptive tactics, providing victims with false and totally misleading information.
In his defence, Sajad’s lawyer argued that his client had expressed genuine regret and remorse for his actions, attributing them to immaturity.
