Rienzie ‘Joe’ Silva, 73, conned elderly investors out of their life savings over a period spanning three decades which he hid in an offshore bank account.
The Croydon Advertiser reported that Silva persuaded an Iraqi couple who could not read or write English to remortgage their home to give the conman £1.35m as an investment.
The money was stolen and the couple were left with £9,000 a month interest payments.
Victims at the trial described Silva as ‘pure evil, selfish and callous’.
Silva, working at Abbey Brokers, was banned by the regulator in March 2011 for using client money to pay off his own debts.
The Financial Services Authority said of Rienzie at the time that he was not a fit and proper person to perform any functions as his conduct demonstrated a lack of honesty and integrity.
Silva received his sentence at Southwark Crown Court yesterday.
