The Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court convicted and sentenced a 46-year-old woman for her role in a complex scheme involving fraud, forgery and money laundering.
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The Hawks spearheaded the case, which revealed how Brigette Storey used fraudulent documents to bridge finance applications for properties.
Storey engaged in fraudulent activities between November 2013 and January 2014.
The investigation detailed how Storey manipulated bridging finance applications for properties with fraudulent documentation, resulting in a staggering R8.25 million loss.
Lieutenant-Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, a Hawks spokesperson, stated that Storey’s fraudulent activities were discovered when she attempted to purchase a property in Durbanville in December 2017.
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According to Vukubi, she provided false documents about her late husband and claimed to have over R2.87 million in cash to complete the sale through misrepresentation.
‘Investigation further revealed that during November 2017, the accused presented to OK Mini Market that she was a willing buyer and agreed to make payment to the amount of R2 million, but failed to make any payments,’ Vukubi said.
On Friday, the court found Storey guilty of one charge of money laundering, four of fraud, and three of forgery.
She was sentenced to three years in prison for money laundering, with two years suspended for five years if she is not convicted of the same offence during that time.
Storey received a seven-year prison sentence for the combined charges of fraud and forgery, with six years suspended if she is not convicted of the same offence again.
The sentences will run concurrently, and Storey will effectively serve a year of direct imprisonment.
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