Eight are charged in bank fraud case (From Cotswold Journal)

Eight are charged in bank fraud case

11:00am Friday 18th January 2013 in News

FOUR Cotswold residents are among eight people to be charged in connection with alleged fraud and money laundering.

Thames Valley Police, on the advice of the fraud group of the Crown Prosecution Service, has charged eight people following a largescale investigation into corruption and other offences originating from the Halifax Bank of Scotland branch in Reading.

David Mills, aged 56, of Todenham, near Moreton, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to corrupt, three counts of fraudulent trading and one count of money laundering.

Michael Bancroft, 69, of Ilmington, near Shipston, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to corrupt, three counts of fraudulent trading and one count of money laundering.

Alison Mills, 47, of Todenham, has been charged with one count of money laundering.

Beverley Bancroft, 64, of Ilmington, has been charged with one count of money laundering.

The charges follow a twoyear investigation codenamed Operation Hornet.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “The charges follow an investigation carried out by the force’s economic crime unit after the case was referred to Thames Valley Police by the Financial Services Authority. The alleged offences originated from HBOS’s impaired assets team based at Reading.”

All eight have been released on bail and are due at Reading Magistrates Court tomorrow.