Bushey fraudsters sentenced for £200k fraud
A man from the town has been jailed for more than six years.
A man from Bushey who scammed his victims out of £230,000 has been jailed for more than six years.
Mahendra Sarvendra befriended his victims and offered to arrange a remortgage for them in 2022. Instead, he advised the victims to invest their savings into a series of businesses, including a shop and an IT business. The money was never invested and instead it was spent by Sarvendra on maintaining a luxurious lifestyle. Only £10,000 was returned to the victims.
Following an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit,
Mahendra, aged 52, and his wife Mirnalini Sarvendra, aged 51, both of Aldenham Road, Bushey were arrested. They appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 30 October 2026 for sentencing having been found guilty at trial.
They had both pleaded not guilty to Fraud by False Representation and Proceeds of Crime offences (money laundering). Mahendra was sentenced to six years and six months in prison and Mirnalini was sentenced to three years, suspended for three years. A Proceeds of Crime process is now underway to recover stolen funds from the offenders’ accounts and assets.
Detective Constable Laura Varney, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “Mahendra posed as a financial professional after befriending the victims and used his supposed expertise to advise them on a series of bogus investments, most of which enriched his own lifestyle.
“Financial investment is a specialised field, and I would urge anyone looking to invest to thoroughly research individuals and companies before committing any money into a venture. Genuine advisors must be qualified and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority; you can check their credentials at www.fca.org.uk.”