EastEnders legend June Brown was conned by a group of fraudsters for a false home improvement

scheme.

The defendants used the late soap star as part of a TV advert promoting their services. No suggestion has

been made that Brown, who died in 2022, was aware of their illegal activities.

The gang, who are believed to have stolen over £1 million from victims, have now been sentenced at Leeds Crown Court, BBC News reports.

The group operated across Yorkshire and Derbyshire and had claimed to be part of a government energy efficiency scheme.

Trading Standards led an investigation into the scheme hosted by York City Council, and found they had used fake names to hide their identities from victims and secured business by misrepresentation.

The investigation also found that they convinced customers to pay substantial deposits for work that was substandard.

“These men left many people with extensive remedial works required at their homes,” said National Trading Standards chair Lord Michael Bichard (via BBC News).

“Some were left living in structurally unstable properties with no viable means of repairing the damage done due to the financial losses they incurred.”

Zulkernan Mahmood, aged 36 of Bradford, admitted fraudulent trading and participating in a fraudulent business. He was jailed for six years and four months, alongside a 10-year criminal behaviour order and disqualification from being a company director for 14 years.

Rehan Yousaf, aged 47 of Bradford, admitted the same charges and was handed a two years and six month sentence prison sentence. The court also issued a 10-year criminal behaviour order, and he has been disqualified from being a company director for 12 years.

Jonathan O’Grady, aged 37 of Bridlington, was found guilty of fraudulent trading and being part of a fraudulent business. He was given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to complete 220 hours of unpaid work, and was disqualified from being a company director for six years.

Meanwhile, David Goody, aged 54 of Bradford, admitted participation in a fraudulent business. He was ordered to undergo 100 hours of unpaid work, as well as being disqualified from being a company director for three years.

Brown died in April 2022, with her character Dot Cotton subsequently passing away off-screen in the soap. EastEnders later gave the character a send-off with funeral scenes in December 2022.