Two fraudsters, including a man from London, Anthony Beard, were found guilty of providing fake passports to British criminals and drug smugglers for years or perhaps decades.

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Who is Anthony Beard?

Anthony Beard is a 61-year-old con artist from Sydenham, in South London. He procured legitimate passports under other people’s identities before attaching the images of criminals, including two wanted killers. Targeting vulnerable people with drug and alcohol issues he had met at rehab facilities and homeless shelters throughout his own battles with addiction, he provided 108 UK passports to criminals.

He picked those whose passports were about to expire as renewals do not call for an in-person interview like new applications do. He is sentenced to six years, eight months in prison.

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“He was involved in every aspect of organizing and applying for the passports, including collecting application forms and planning the details to be provided by the applicant and the counter-signatory,” the NCA said on Friday.

His link to criminal gangs, Chris McCormack, received an eight-year sentence. Alan Thompson, the third gang member, received a three-year term.

As per to the National Crime Agency, Beard’s clients “made an awful lot of money out of organized criminality.” Moreover, the fraudsters had assisted “wicked, violent criminals,” according to Judge Nicholas Ainley.

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The NCA claimed that during a 20-year period, Beard may have provided up to 108 fake passports that were obtained fraudulently while charging between £15,000 and £20,000 for each one. As little as £100 was paid to the person whose passport was being used.

Criminals who received passports include the Glasgow murderers Jordan Owen and Christopher Hughes, the Manchester assailant David Walley, the drug dealer Michael Moogan, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday, and the alleged Scottish drug dealers Barrie Gillespie, Jamie Stevenson, and James White.