PPE Fraud Duo Who Lived Lavishly on Pandemic Profits Face Justice as Mastermind Awaits Sentencing

A fraudster who helped orchestrate a multi-million pound personal protective equipment scam during the Covid-19 pandemic has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Craig Morris, 43, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday after being convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, along with concealing and transferring criminal property. His co-defendant, Jogesh Bhandari, 60, was not present at the hearing and is expected to learn his fate on 16 October.

The pair were found guilty at Leicester Crown Court in July following an investigation by the National Crime Agency into fraudulent PPE deals that targeted medical companies in the United States and Germany at a time when global demand for protective equipment had reached unprecedented levels.

According to prosecutors, the offenders exploited the desperate shortage of PPE that characterised the early stages of the pandemic. Michael Bisgrove, prosecuting, told the court that Bhandari was the "driving force and the instigator" of the offending, while Morris was "very much working for him."

The court heard that the men operated under a company called Banton and presented themselves as significant players in the PPE market. They sent contracts to US firm Med18 and German company MedTech for equipment they did not possess, convincing buyers that they could supply millions of boxes of nitrile gloves.

Bisgrove explained that the fraud took place against a backdrop of severe supply shortages, when healthcare providers around the world were scrambling to secure protective equipment for frontline workers. "In that shortage, the offenders, particularly Mr Bhandari and Mr Morris, saw the opportunity to make money by fraud," he said.

The proceeds of the scam were used to fund lavish lifestyles, with the court hearing that money was spent on luxury cars, holidays and property. Bhandari, of Mitchell Drive in Loughborough, Leicestershire, spent thousands of pounds on high-end vehicles, while Morris, of Forest Drive in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, purchased a house.

The Bhandari family also used the illicit funds to pay off debts, according to evidence presented to the court. The total value of money obtained and retained by Jogesh Bhandari through the fraud was estimated at £1.75 million, while his wife Meenakashi Bhandari, a former pharmacist, was found to have laundered £960,000.

Meenakashi Bhandari, 58, also of Mitchell Drive, was convicted of concealing and transferring criminal property. She attended the sentencing hearing and received a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years, along with 250 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity.

Morris had reportedly been receiving regular payments of £5,000 from Bhandari before the two men fell out at the end of 2021, according to information previously released by the National Crime Agency.

The NCA also revealed that Jogesh Bhandari had collaborated with Frank Labruzzo, an attorney in the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, who provided a fraudulent escrow service. The court heard that Labruzzo and another individual involved in the scheme have already been convicted and sentenced in the United States.

Judge William Harbage KC, who presided over the sentencing, addressed the absence of Jogesh Bhandari, stating there was "no medical evidence" to properly explain why he could not attend. The defendant's counsel had claimed he was taking a "very extreme painkiller" after having a pacemaker fitted the previous week. The judge issued a bench warrant and confirmed that sentencing would proceed on 16 October.

In his remarks, Judge Harbage reflected on the broader context of the pandemic, noting it was a period when "all of us had to make sacrifices and pull together for the good of society as a whole." He added: "There were a few people though who sought to exploit that to make money for themselves, motivated by greed. I'm satisfied Jogesh Bhandari and Craig Morris fall into that category."

The case forms part of a wider effort by UK authorities to pursue individuals who profited illegally from the global health crisis. The National Crime Agency has been actively investigating PPE-related fraud since the pandemic began, with several prosecutions brought against those who sought to capitalise on supply chain disruption.

The convictions highlight the vulnerability of international procurement systems during emergencies, when normal due diligence processes are often bypassed in the rush to secure critical supplies. Companies in the US and Germany were left substantially out of pocket after receiving nothing in return for their payments.

Morris now begins his custodial sentence, while Meenakashi Bhandari will serve her suspended term in the community. Jogesh Bhandari, described by prosecutors as the architect of the scheme, remains awaiting punishment. The case continues to underscore the determination of law enforcement to hold accountable those who exploited the pandemic for personal enrichment.