SHIKAEV: BUNGLING FRAUDSTER JAILED OVER DODGY CHEQUE
A bungling fraudster who tried to cash a forged cheque containing misspelled bank details was jailed for nine months today (Fri).
Russian-born Anatoly Shikaev, 27, handed over the document, purporting to be drawn on the Co-op Bank’s ‘Brignton’ branch, at a pawn shop in central London.
The trainee gas fitter assumed a false identity using a counterfeit passport and utility bill in order to pull off the deception, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Peter Lancaster, prosecuting, said Shikaev had tried to the cash the £3,150 cheque at the Money Shop’s branch in Edgware Road on February 23.
‘It was made out in the name of Andreas Bogadon and purported to made out on behalf of Hastings Borough Council,’ he told the court.
‘In support of this he produced a Latvian passport and a gas bill from the Hastings area in the same name.
‘But on the rear of the cheque there was an endorsement that showed it had been presented at the Hounslow branch of the money shop.
‘The assistant telephoned that branch and they confirmed it had been seen there before by a different person.
‘She was concerned by what was happening and made further inquiries with the bank, who said it was a false cheque.
‘As a result, the police were called and the defendant was arrested.’
He added: ‘The cheque that was used was counterfeit, as the word “Brighton” was spelled wrong.’
Shikaev, a father of one, of (5) Cowley Road, Ilford, Essex, made full admissions in interview, the court was told.
He later pleaded guilty to possessing a false identity document, fraud and possessing articles for fraud.
Claire Evans, defending, said her client was an intelligent man who had studied engineering at both Warwick and Bath universities.
He had recently started training as a gas engineer, at a cost of £4,000, funded by his family, she added.
‘His offending coincided with the absence of his passport and his inability to claim benefits,’ said Miss Evans.
‘He has since managed to move forward and work on his qualifications.
‘He has a very great deal to lose.’
Jailing Shikaev for nine months, Judge Martin Beddoe told him: ‘You are clearly a very clever young man and have enjoyed a relatively privileged background. I make it clear that is not an aggravating
feature.
‘But it does emphasise the point that, in contrast to some of the others unfortunate enough to come before me, you cannot say that you did not enter into this with anything other than your eyes open.
‘I have no doubt that the intention overall, had the exercise been successful, would have been to go on and repeat it elsewhere with other forged cheques.’
ends
