Boston Town footballer jailed for UK immigration fraud

A Boston Town footballer has been imprisoned for 11 months after admitting to a string of immigration and deception offences, including entering the UK on a false passport.

Lorand Borbely, 29, of Church Green Road, Fishtoft, was charged with entering the UK by deception, three charges of obtaining a mortgage by deception, together with obtaining employment by deception and removing criminal property from the UK. He also admitted five charges of fraud, a further deception charge and perverting the course of justice after appearing in court for a speeding offence under his false identity.

Borbely admitted entering the UK with a Hungarian passport with the name Laszlo Lovas in 2004. He later played for the clubs Deeping Rangers and Boston Town for six years under the false identity, as well as playing for Sunday League champions Magnet Tavern. He joined the board of Boston Town as a director last year.

UK Border Agency officers mounted a two year investigation into the identity scam that culminated in simultaneous warrants being executed at three addresses in the Boston area on 4 August.

During the course of the hearing it was also revealed that Borbely had in total fraudulently obtained £540,998 which he used to purchase five properties and three cars - two Audi TTs and a Mercedes Benz.

Lincolnshire Police are working to seize his assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

In sentencing Borbely to 11 months at Lincoln Crown Court Recorder NK Shant QC said to the footballer, “you must have known you were leading a life built on lies'.

Andrew Radcliffe, from the UK Border Agency's East Midlands UK immigration crime team, said: “This man might have been well regarded by Boston Town fans and his fellow directors but we will not ignore this sort of deception.

“Foreign nationals that try to con their way into work with a false passport are making it more difficult for British people to find jobs. Businesses that turn a blind eye to such fraud undercut honest employers who recruit staff with the right to work in the UK and who pay them a proper salary. We will crack down on this abuse whether it takes place in a factory or at a football club,” Mr Radcliffe said.

The UK Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their UK Visa applications to the British Embassy.