NEWS STORY : Harrow Builder, Florin-Petrica Bodale, Sentenced for £50,000 COVID Loan Fraud
STORY:
A building contractor from Harrow has received a suspended prison sentence after fraudulently obtaining a £50,000 COVID-19 Bounce Back Loan by significantly overstating his business’s turnover. Florin-Petrica Bodale, 34, operated as a sole trader offering plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning services. In November 2020, he applied for a Bounce Back Loan, falsely claiming an annual turnover of £240,000 to secure the maximum loan amount. However, an investigation by the Insolvency Service revealed his actual turnover was approximately £22,000, entitling him to a loan of just £5,500. On 10 April 2025, at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Bodale was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, commented:
“Florin-Petrica Bodale falsely claimed a much higher turnover for his business and the reality of this is a notable sentence on top of his earlier disqualification as a director. These loans were intended to help keep small businesses afloat, not to take money from the public purse that businesses were not entitled to. We will continue in our efforts to bring those who abuse this scheme to justice.”
The Bounce Back Loan Scheme was introduced to support small and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic. The Insolvency Service continues to investigate and prosecute individuals who have exploited the scheme.
