Friday 10 June 2011

Solicitor Admits £1M Olympic Property Fraud



A disgraced criminal defence solicitor pleaded guilty yesterday to a £1 million-plus mortgage scam involving six East London properties located near the Olympic Stadium.

Solicitor Elena Quinlivan, 34,(pictured) who does not currently hold an official practicing certificate worked for Ilford-based St. Law after qualifying on May 15 2008.

She pleaded guilty to seven counts of conspiring with others to obtain money transfers in sums of £166,000; £198,249; £171,000; £142,000; £228,000; £204,000 and £223,250 on various dates between January 1 2003 and March 27 2005.

The charges relate to 47 Louise Road; 54 Glenavon Road; 26 Simmons Walk and 108 Geere Road, Stratford; 180 Sherrard Road, Forest Gate and an address in Plaistow.

She was represented at Southwark Crown Court by leading human rights solicitor Imran Khan who successfully argued she should remain on unconditional bail despite now residing with her husband and one year-old child in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

"The defendant came back voluntarily to face these charges and she has been back to America since," the lawyer told the court.

Bailing Quinlivan until a sentencing date to be fixed Judge Stephen Robbins said: "If she was unwise enough not to return there is an extradition treaty between this country and America and she would find herself languishing in prison in America.

"She would be deported here and languish in a prison here."

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