Tax cheat convicted for £97million fraud bought historic house worth £4million
One of Britain’s biggest tax cheats has a historic house thought to be worth £4million, complete with a blue plaque.
Arif Patel used his crooked company to buy the one-time pad of Edwardian portrait painter Sir William Nicholson in Hampstead.
The historic five-storey terrace, which celebrates the artist with an English Heritage marker, is on one of North London’s poshest streets.
The neighbourhood is home to A-listers such as Harry Styles, Ricky Gervais and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Now, prosecutors want to confiscate it after Patel’s conviction on Tuesday for a £97million fraud.
![Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade qeituidqriqrhinv](/upload/news/2023/02/01/1_m.jpg)
Patel, 55, and his gang imported and sold knock-off designer gear.
![Tax cheat convicted for £97million fraud bought historic house worth £4million](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article29720143.ece/ALTERNATES/n310p/0_01-Arif-Umarji-PatelJPG.jpg)
![Tax cheat convicted for £97million fraud bought historic house worth £4million](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article29720147.ece/ALTERNATES/n310p/0_Counterfeit-clothing-boss-convicted-of-fraud-worth-more-than-£150-million.jpg)
They made millions more from false VAT claims by faking exports of clothes and mobile phones – ploughing it into UK property.
Records show Patel’s Preston company Faisaltex Ltd bought the freehold of the Hampstead property.
HMRC said: “Faisaltex Ltd was the heart of his criminal empire. From here he ran the counterfeit clothing operation and false export business.”
![Tax cheat convicted for £97million fraud bought historic house worth £4million](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article29720144.ece/ALTERNATES/s338a/0_nicholson_william-dp067562-plaque-1000.jpg)
Patel and Mohamed Jaffar Ali, 58, were found guilty of fraud and money laundering at Chester crown court.
Twenty-four associates have already been jailed for 116 years.
Patel, said to have fled to Dubai, was convicted in his absence. A warrant is out for Jaffar Ali’s arrest.
![Tax cheat convicted for £97million fraud bought historic house worth £4million](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article29720962.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Counterfeit-clothing-boss-convicted-of-fraud-worth-more-than-£150-million.jpg)
HMRC’s Richard Las said: “Patel lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the law-abiding majority.
“Fraudsters like this pair steal money that funds the NHS and other services.
“We have £78million of the gang’s UK assets restrained and have begun the process to recover all proceeds of crime.”
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