A couple who illegally sub-let a Solihull Council property whilst living 130 miles away in Essex have been sentenced for fraud by false representation.
Lema Azizi, 36, and 34-year-old Ahmed Jamshaidi, both of Woolmer Green, Basildon in Essex, were sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Friday, 28 November, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.
The court found Ms Azizi sub-let a Council property on Winchcombe Road, in Lyndon, against her tenancy agreement. She was a registered Council tenant at the address since March 2017.
Mr Jamshaidi aided in the offence and received payments of £13,463.78 from two individuals who rented the property, making a profit of £2,959.75.
After recovering the property, Solihull Community Housing has now re-let it to someone on the Housing Register.
The case came about after routine checks by the Council’s fraud investigators following separate Right to Buy and joint tenancy applications against the property.
Checks found Mr Jamshaidi was linked to multiple addresses including the Woolmer Green property which he owned and both had paid Council Tax on, while Ms Azizi’s own bank statements said she resided at the Basildon address since July 2022.
Between April 2021 and October 2023, whilst Ms Azizi was registered as a tenant at the Solihull address, Mr Jamshaidi’s bank statements showed he received 33 payments from two individuals on the Winchcombe Road property.
Mr Jamshaidi and Ms Azizi were also found to have made false statements in their joint tenancy application by claiming Mr Jamshaidi had lived at the Solihull address for more than two years.
Both pleaded guilty to the offences at the first opportunity.
Ms Azizi was sentenced to a 12-month community order comprising a £40 fine, up to 15 days of rehabilitation, a £114 victim surcharge, and £400 in costs.
Mr Jamshaidi was also sentenced to a 12-month community order comprising 100 hours of unpaid work, up to 15 days of rehabilitation, a £114 victim surcharge, £650 in costs, and he was ordered to pay £2,959.75 back to the Council.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Mark Parker, said:
“Fraud against the Council will not be tolerated – this is clear.
“The case here is an excellent example of that and comes after a more than two-year investigation from our fraud investigators, who have worked extremely hard to ensure that public money is protected and recovered where possible.
“This incident is not a one-off. We have recovered 10 properties from fraudulent activities since April, and our officers will continue to protect the public purse and ensure that these homes go to people who need them.”
If you suspect fraud, you can report it to the Council’s anti-fraud hotline on 0800 0288535 or email antifraud@solihull.gov.uk.
For more information, visit www.solihull.gov.uk/council-tax-and-benefits/report-fraud.