John Fitzpatrick, 65, went missing after an investigation into activities at the Bradford law firm TI Clough and Company in 2001. Along with six others, he was suspected to have benefited from mortgage fraud.
In July, Fitzpatrick was extradited from South Africa. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft and two charges of obtaining money transfers by deception, involving more than a million pounds. He is due to be sentenced in December.
The Serious Fraud Office and the West Yorkshire police began investigating Fitzpatrick in 2001, as part of a probe into multiple mortgage frauds involving a mortgage broker, solicitors and other mortgage professionals. In 2004, six defendants were found guilty of applying for mortgages with inflated property prices in order to dishonestly obtain cash.
The proceeds of the fraud were then laundered through solicitors at TI Clough. While Fitzpatrick’s whereabouts remained unknown at the time of sentencing, he was believed to have benefited from four of the frauds.
Sentencing another solicitor involved in the fraud, Andrew John Young, the judge said: “You abused the trust of the public and of your professional body. You used skilful, professional laundering techniques.”
