Jeff Arundell, a 75-year-old man from Bath, has been sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to repay more than £4 million following convictions for multiple fraud and money laundering offences. The case centers on fraudulent financial dealings carried out between 2016 and 2017.
In November 2016, Arundell convinced a friend and several family members to invest approximately £108,000 in what he described as a “guaranteed money-making investment.” He claimed to have inside information indicating that shares in a pharmaceutical company were about to surge in value and personally guaranteed their stake would be protected.
Instead of investing as promised, by early December 2016, Arundell placed spread betting trades with the money. He falsely informed the investors that their funds were lost and that he lacked the resources to reimburse them. However, it later emerged that Arundell actually profited from these trades, reinvesting winnings to amass a £4.6 million windfall by August 2017.
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Following reports by the victims in January 2017, police investigations uncovered a further deception. Arundell had claimed he could have covered the guaranteed stake because he had received a £100,000 inheritance from his late mother. Yet it was revealed that he had fraudulently taken this inheritance himself while holding power of attorney, depriving other family members of their rightful shares.
At Bristol Crown Court in October 2023, Arundell was convicted on three counts of fraud by false representation and money laundering related to £86,000 received from the victims. He was found not guilty on a fourth count but was nonetheless sentenced to six years in prison. Separately, he was convicted in 2021 of fraud by abuse of position in connection with his handling of his mother’s finances.
In a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in October 2025, His Honour Judge Blair ruled that Arundell had illegally benefited from £4.8 million. A confiscation order was issued for £4,140,428.59, with over £220,000 to be returned directly to his victims.
Detective Chief Inspector Carlos Filippsen praised the outcome, emphasizing the force’s commitment to pursuing offenders who exploit others. He highlighted how the case demonstrates the police’s resolve to strip criminals of their illicit gains and compensate victims, sending a strong message that crime does not pay.