This in from Hampshire Police. Ed
A convicted burglar from Hove has had more than £80,000 confiscated through the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Financial Investigation Unit worked to secure the successful confiscation of gains made by Simon Berkowitz, following a series of burglaries carried out May and June 2009 in the Yarmouth and Bembridge areas of the Isle of Wight. Berkowitz pleaded guilty in March 2010 to these burglaries and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Money confiscated under Proceeds of Crime Act
On Friday, January 14, 2011 during a hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court Judge White granted the confiscation of £82,961.17 from Berkowitz under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Berkowitz was found to have benefited from the Isle of Wight crime spree to the tune of £6,299. But through extensive work by investigators from Hampshire Constabulary’s Financial Investigation Unit it was found that Berkowitz was unable to account for a much bigger sum of money. Based on evidence provided in court, the judge made a confiscation order for the sum of £82,961.17. This total was made up from the value of a variety of assets, which includes a flat in Hove.
He was also ordered to pay £5,017 to his victims from the total confiscation order sum. Berkowitz has been given him six months to pay the full amount.
Detective Inspector Dave Brown of Hampshire Constabulary’s Economic Crime Group said: “Hampshire Constabulary’s team of Financial Investigators work hard to secure positive results such as the outcome in this case, where the benefits of crime are taken away from the criminals. This can be in the form of both cash and assets.”
