A man who forged documents to support immigration visa applications has had his sentence increased by the Court of Appeal following intervention by the Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP.
From 2013 to 2017 Mohammad Rahman took part in a number of fraudulent schemes, including supplying false documents designed to support immigration visa applications, and fake student council tax exemptions.
As part of the scam, Rahman produced false documents purporting to be from educational institutions to allow overseas nationals to reside in the UK for the purpose of study, having supposedly secured a place on a course.
Other fraudulent schemes run by Rahman included creating false documentation to secure council tax exemptions for people claiming to be enrolled in courses and falsifying documents which allowed his wife and sister-in-law to secure a mortgage advance of over £140,000 to purchase a house.
When immigration officers attended the offender's workplace, he was found in possession of a memory stick loaded with hundreds of false documents, templates and fake correspondence from legitimate educational institutions.
On 21 November 2019, Rahman was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to 2 years and 6 months' imprisonment.
Today the Court of Appeal increased this to 5 years' imprisonment, after the sentence was referred as being unduly lenient by the Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP.
After the hearing the Solicitor General said:
"The offender set out to make substantial financial gain from dishonest activity in which he abused his position of responsibility. He continued to disregard the law and the victims of his crimes and this increase in sentence is wholly appropriate."
