A Daily Mail report explained how Marcus Copeland, 44, who ran Copeland Mortgage Services in Prestatyn, North Wales, admitted five charges of obtaining a money transfer by deception on behalf of his clients and two charges of fraud involving his own applications.
Copeland was named best mortgage broker in the Midlands and Wales in 2007.
In April of the same year, Copeland claimed his own earnings were £128,000 to obtain a mortgage of £379,000 then in July he claimed to earn £148,000 a year as head of finance which allowed him to obtain a £450,000 mortgage.
The mortgages were to help Copeland build his £1m dream home.
An investigation began in 2012 after the Financial Services Authority became suspicious he was helping to make fraudulent mortgage applications. It was found that he had inflated some of his clients’ earnings and provided false payslips in some instances.
Recorder Gregg Bull QC said: “That behaviour was thoroughly dishonest, but I don’t think you realised how dishonest it was.”
Jonathan Austin, Copeland’s defence, told the court how the disgraced broker had lost everything as a result of his fraudulent activity.
Copeland was sentenced to 18 months in jail which was suspended for two years.
A financial hearing is set for January.
