Darlington men jailed for their part in £1million roofing fraud

Two Darlington men have been jailed for their part in a criminal operation that pressurised homeowners into paying vastly inflated prices for unnecessary or poor-quality roofing and building work.

The network extracted more than £1million from victims across the North East, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire for unnecessary, poor-quality and grossly overpriced work between May 2021 and August 2024.

This week, 22 people were sentenced at Teesside Crown Court for their part in the operation, with 12 being jailed for a combined 63 years and three months.

The sentences follow a major investigation by the National Trading Standards Yorkshire and Humber Regional Investigation Team, hosted by City of York Council.

The fraud typically began with homeowners being cold called and approached about relatively small jobs, such as clearing gutters or replacing a roof tile. Once work began, they would be told that much more extensive and urgent repairs were required.

Victims were pressured into agreeing to these unnecessary repairs, with prices rapidly escalating into thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. The criminal network deliberately targeted vulnerable people, including those who were older, isolated or living with ill health.

Trading Standards officers also uncovered an extensive money laundering network used to move and disguise victims’ money through numerous bank accounts.

Tyler McBride, 30, of Darlington, was jailed for six years after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to convert criminal property.

Michael Mather, 35, also of Darlington, was also jailed for four years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to convert criminal property.

Read the full story here https://yorkcouncil-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/63-years-jail-time-for-criminal-gang-behind-gbp-1m-roofing-fraud-investigated-by-york-based-team-2