Northamptonshire Police have said that David Cardoza, 54, from Eastbourne, was among five men previously associated with the reconstruction of the League One team, scheduled to appear at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on multiple charges of fraud and money laundering.
The remaining four included his father, 80-year-old former director Anthony Cardoza from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, who was exempted from attending court in person.
Howard Grossman, a 63-year-old property developer from Bushey, Hertfordshire, along with his 37-year-old son Marcus Grossman from Barnet and 54-year-old Simon Patnick from Stanmore, north London, were also in the dock.
A representative from Northamptonshire Police stated: “No pleas were submitted during this morning’s hearing, and all five men were granted bail to appear at Northampton Crown Court on 27 February 2025.”
The allegations against the five defendants are as follows:
All five individuals are indicted for conspiracy to perpetrate fraud by false representation from September 2013 to April 2015. These pertain to purportedly deceptive assertions made to Northampton Borough Council, claiming that funds lent by the authority to the football club would be exclusively allocated for the development of Sixfields Stadium and an adjacent hotel, which were “false or misleading.”
The Cardozas are both accused of fraud via abuse of position, in violation of section 1 of the Fraud Act, over a payment of £8.75 million from the football club to 1st Land Limited, a company owned by Howard Grossman.
David Cardoza is additionally accused of transferring criminal property, specifically £166,000 in a credit balance through a bank transfer from the account of Northampton Town Football Club Limited, with knowledge or suspicion that it constitutes or represents, wholly or partially, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of criminal activity.
Howard Grossman is charged with fraud and three counts of transferring criminal property, involving £650,000 from his company County Homes (Herts) Ltd to his son and co-director, Hayden Grossman, as well as £10,000 from 1st Land Limited to Simon Patnick and £15,000 from 1st Land Limited to Simpa Investments Limited, a company owned by Simon Patnick.
Mr. Howard Grossman and his son Marcus Grossman face additional charges for transferring illicit property, specifically £20,000, from Marcus Grossman’s account to Simon Patnick, with knowledge or suspicion that it constitutes or represents, wholly or partially, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of criminal activity.
Simon Patnick is charged with fraud and the acquisition of criminal property in violation of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, specifically £61,800 in credit balances obtained through bank transfers from or on behalf of Howard Grossman and Marcus Grossman, with knowledge or suspicion that these funds wholly or partially represent the proceeds of criminal activity.
Howard Grossman is confronted with the identical accusation concerning a transfer of £10,000 to Margro Properties Ltd, a firm operated by Marcus Grossman.
This case is the inaugural instance of an individual being presented before the court concerning Operation Tuckhill, the Northamptonshire Police’s inquiry into the vanishing of £10.25 million loaned to the club by Northampton Borough Council for the construction of a new stand and hotel.
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