A rogue UK landlord has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after a Judge found the sub-letting imposter guilty of six counts of fraud.
Mr Moses Ogoe, 24, was charged with presenting false documentation to let properties, converting the properties into Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) without a license, sub-letting the properties to tenants and unlawfully posing as a landlord.
A Judge found that, when acquiring properties, Mr Ogoe produced bogus documents claiming to be a high-paid doctor, catering manager and security manager – when in fact the Luton landlord worked as a temporary security guard.
On more than one occasion, Mr Ogoe evicted his unsuspecting tenants without notice if they failed to pay his unjustified rent increases.
Judge Kay QC told Mr Ogoe: “You saw an opportunity to rent relatively sizable properties and sub-let 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”.
Mr Ogoe continued to pose as a licensed landlord while on court bail – failing to change his plea to ‘guilty’ until the first day of his trial.
The rogue sub-letter had previously received a caution, relating to Housing Act offences in connection with the conditions at one of the properties in question.
Mr Ogoe was made to pay £7,500 in costs and sentenced to 16 months imprisonment.
Judge Kay QC ordered for the computers Mr Ogoe used to design his bogus documents to be seized by Police.