Taxi Driver Online

A bogus taxi driver has been jailed for four months for fraud as part of Operation Excalibur- a joint investigation between the Metropolitan Police Service Safer transport Command and Transport for London.

Melios Themistokleous, 58, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on January 7th charged with fraud by false representation and possession of articles for use for fraud. He was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment on both counts.

A second man, Michael Audsly,59, has also been sentenced to a community order fotr 12 months after appearing at Central London Magistrates Court on 13th December 2013 for fraud by misrepresentation and possession of articles for use in fraud.

A third man was due to appear at Central London Magistrates Court on 28th January 2014 to be sentenced after being convicted of fraud.

These sentences follow ongoing intelligence-led work to crack down on this type of illegal activity, which uses ANPR cameras to target bogus taxi drivers who are posing as legitimate taxi drivers. All three men were arrested in possession of forged items such as taxi driver licences, badges and plates. Themistokleous was previously convicted of two counts of fraud in May 2013 following an investigation by the STC and was sentenced to a community order of 12 months.

Source: LPHCA Private Hire News issue 65 Spring 2014

Good move on behalf of the authorities to prosecute for fraud.

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IDFIMH