Rogue Trader Has €180K Seized By Police

Euro's Seized: Anthony Holehouse

Police have seized €180,660 belonging to a notorious rogue trader – banned from running any company for 10 years after he was jailed.

Anthony Holehouse, 31, of Tremayne Road, Bilborough, Nottinghamshire was sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment for his role in a 'long firm' fraud.

Police applied for the continued detention of the money yesterday on the grounds it represents the proceeds of unlawful conduct and the hearing was adjourned at Uxbridge Magistrates Court until January 7, next year.

Holehouse was one of a group of six men investigated by Leicestershire Constabulary, which started an investigation in November 2005 into a fraudulent company called Power Associates Ltd (PA Ltd) based in Burnmoor Street, Leicester.

This led to the identification of three other fraudulent companies in Nottinghamshire.

Following a joint investigation between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire forces, the suspects were identified and charged in December 2007.

The defendants all pleaded guilty to fraudulent company trading at Leicester Crown Court.

Detective Sergeant Edward Jones, who led the investigation, said: "These men were setting up bogus companies and obtaining goods on credit with suppliers, but never paying the balance.

"When the suppliers chased them for payment all remnants of the company and its employees had disappeared as the gang moved on to the next bogus company.

"The best way to stop these people from committing offences again is to make their faces known in the business world."

Holehouse was also convicted of fraudulent company trading in relation to JTF Services Ltd and West Yorkshire based company Crossfield Construction Ltd.