Yet another Grenfell fraudster, who claimed to be homeless and living in the tower on the night of the fire, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison on Friday (November 30).
Abdelkarim Rekaya, 28, of Lots Road, is said to have "exploited the generosity of the public and the local council" to help his immigration case, receive more than £88,000 in financial support and get free housing in Chelsea.
However, investigators discovered that his story was false and at Isleworth Crown Court on September 21 he pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh told Rekaya: “Many, particularly in west London, did what they could to help. Your response was very different.
"You used the situation to enrich yourself dishonestly by plundering the public funds put aside for those in their hour of need.”
“You persisted in lies and deceptions to get money and advantages in immigration for almost a year. You were concerned if your Netflix subscription was being paid.
"You refused to answer questions from council employees. You made a no comment interview, not coming clean at that stage.”
Senior Crown Prosecutor David Davies described how Rekaya fooled the local authorities with a made-up account of fleeing the fire after sleeping rough in the building.
He said: “Abdelkarim Rekaya falsely claimed he had been sleeping rough in the Grenfell tower so he could personally benefit from this tragedy.
“He created a made-up an account of waking up and fleeing the building, but the CPS was able to disprove his lies leading to this conviction.”
Grenfell Tower caught fire on June 14 2017, killing at least 80 people.
After claiming to be one of the hundreds of Grenfell survivors, Rekaya was provided with hotel accommodation and £88,183.70 worth of financial support.
In December of the same year, he was housed at an address in Lots Road and stayed there without paying rent or bills until July 1 this year.
He was arrested on June 7 and charged the following day. Police seized £2,000 worth of cash during the search on the day of his arrest, the forfeiture of which was authorised by the judge.
Detective Superintendent Matt Bonner said: “I have previously described the actions of those who exploited the tragedy for their own personal gain as truly appalling.
“Not only have their actions exploited the aid and support intended for those most affected, but they also risk misrepresenting the Grenfell community as they continue to try and come to terms with their grief.
“Abdelkarim Rekaya invented a story for his own self gain and exploited the generosity of the public and the local council.
"My thoughts remain with the Grenfell community at this difficult time - they are the genuine victims who should continue to be at the heart and centre of all we do."
Other Grenfell fraud stories
So far getwestlondon has reported on nine other people charged for fraud relating to the horrific tragedy.
This list includes 39-year-old "serial fraudster" and former council worker Jenny McDonagh , who took the money meant for survivors using pre-paid credit cards to fund trips to Dubai and Los Angeles, expensive dinners and online gambling.
The amounts fraudulently claimed range from more than £100,000 to a few thousands of pounds.
