Three people have been convicted for their roles in a £2 million fraud scam which conned more than 80 people.

Newham Recorder: Vladimir RusaliychevVladimir Rusaliychev (Image: Met Police)

Migle Sasyte, 31, of Galleons Road, Beckton, was found guilty of one count of being concerned in the acquisition/retention/use or control of criminal property and one count of fraud by false representation. She will be sentenced in January 2017.

Two others, Michael Foran, 27, of Whitton Walk, Bow and Kallan Henry, 27, of Gaylor Road, Tilbury, were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court yesterday after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud following a five-week trial.

Foran was sentenced to four-and-half-years’ imprisonment, including 18 months for a guilty plea to a previous fraud, while Henry was sentenced to one-and-half-years’ imprisonment.

Sasyte was involved with an organised criminal gang which committed fraud using a combination of valid and dummy companies to sell carbon credits to would-be investors.

Members defrauded 78 people into buying carbon credits using a business called London Carbon Credit Company Ltd (LCCC).

A further 12 people were conned by a pension transfer fund in which Certified Emission Reduction (CER) carbon credits were transferred into pensions by way of Henderson International Associates (HIA).

In both cases carbon credits were worthless or of nominal value and the total amount of money defrauded by the group was £2.3 million.

Two teams operated in the the fradulent enterprise which appeared legitimate by using virtual offices and professional websites.

“Openers” were hired to make cold calls and to persuade people of the benefits of investment and had to make 500 calls a day otherwise they were sacked.

Meanwhile, “closers” would tell a series of lies in order to force victims to part with their money.

An investigation by Detectives from the Met’s Operation Falcon Complex Fraud Team resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects, seven of whom were dealt with at a previous trial and imprisoned in August.

Migle Sasyte was said to have knowledge of the organised fraud. She purchased a property with proceeds and claimed to be a full time employee of HIA.

She is the partner of Vladimir Rusaliychev, of Galleons Road, Beckton, who was a jailed for a total of five years in August for two counts of conspiracy to defraud. He was a closer who netted substantial rewards from commission.

Others who were jailed at that time were operation ring leader James Francis Byrne, 30, of Seven Sea Gardens, Bow, James Patrick Byrne, 57, of Whitton Walk, Bow, Young Erumuse, 35 (10.08.81), of Springdale Road, Stoke Newington, Max Jefferys, 31, of Whitehall Road, Woodford Green and Samuel Henriot, 25, of Bermuda Road, Tilbury.

The case against Stacey Martin, 45 of Whitton Walk, Bow, for money laundering was discontinued during the trial.

Jamie Evans, 33, of Noble Crescent, Aylesbury and Chelsea Foran, 24, of Whitton Walk, Bow, were also acquitted of any involvement after a trial.

Det Con Mark Loftus said: “The leaders of the group instructed their staff to make hundreds of cold calls every day and then tell lies to prospective customers to persuade them to invest in the fraudulent schemes.

“These were sophisticated frauds carried out by a group who were determined not to stop.

“However the Complex Fraud Team was able to expose the deceptive, criminal behaviour of the men who posed as legitimate businessmen.”

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of investment fraud can call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.