Two men have been ordered to repay almost £100,000 under proceeds of crime legislation following their conviction for orchestrating a large-scale online vehicle fraud. Patrick Stokes and Michael Stokes, sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in November 2025, must pay back £97,340.17 and £1,347 respectively after hearings held in June 2026. Their scheme involved posting fake vehicle listings on a shopping platform, collecting deposits from buyers, then directing victims to incorrect addresses and never delivering the vehicles.

The investigation uncovered the operation's scope: more than 300 people lost hundreds of thousands of pounds through the conspiracy, which relied on approximately 90 money mules to facilitate fund transfers. Police recovered additional assets including a luxury watch valued at £12,000. The recovered funds will be redistributed to compensate victims and support the criminal justice system, illustrating how asset recovery powers can partially recoup losses from serious fraud conspiracies.