Former Mortgage Broker Committed to Crown Court for Conducting Unauthorised Business

Press Releases First published: Last updated: 13/05/2013

On Monday 29 April 2013, Michael Joseph James Lewis of 3 Sedley Close, Rainham, Gillingham, appeared at Medway Magistrates Court in relation to criminal offences brought against him by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Mr Lewis was committed for trial to Maidstone Crown Court in relation to:

  • 13 counts of Breaching of the General Prohibition (contrary to Section 23 of FSMA 2000) in that Mr Lewis conducted regulated business when he was not authorised to do so; and
  • 3 counts of Assisting a Fraud by False Representation (contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 and Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006) in that Mr Lewis assisted or encouraged others to commit fraud by falsifying documents.

Mr Lewis was originally arrested on 24 October 2012 in a joint operation between the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Kent Police and he was charged at Medway Police station on Thursday 7 February 2013.

Mr Lewis had previously been prohibited by the FSA from acting as an authorised person on 9 August 2011.

On the 29 April 2013, the court made an order under the Contempt of Court Act 1981 which stated that although the simple fact of the prohibition order can be published there “should be no publication of any findings or the circumstances founding the basis of the prohibition order imposed by the FSA on 9 August 2011 due to a substantial risk of prejudice to the administration of justice”. This order will continue until formally varied by a Court.

Notes for editors

  1. Mr Lewis’s date of birth is 24th May 1948.
  2. On the 1 April 2013 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) became responsible for the conduct supervision of all regulated financial firms and the prudential supervision of those not supervised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
  3. The FCA has an overarching strategic objective of ensuring the relevant markets function well. To support this it has three operational objectives: to secure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers; to protect and enhance the integrity of the UK financial system; and to promote effective competition in the interests of consumers
  4. Find out more information about the FCA, as well as how it is different to the PRA.