A former mortgage broker this week appeared at Medway Magistrates Court in relation to criminal offences brought against him by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Michael Joseph James Lewis of 3 Sedley Close, Rainham, Gillingham, 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 Lewis conducted regulated business when he was not authorised to do so.

He also faces three 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 Mr Lewis assisted or encouraged others to commit fraud by falsifying documents.

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.

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.