David and Emanuel Schreiber jailed for fraud, 1986

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1986 Old Bailey gold VAT convictions of David Schreiber (August 1952) and Emanuel Schreiber (May 1956); later bankruptcy and Midos / 147 Stamford Hill property

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Emanuel Schreiber and David Schreiber (born 1952) from the Jewish Chronicle, 2 May 1986.
David Schreiber (born 1952), convicted fraudster, then property magnate - landlord for Instro Precision subsidiary of Elbit Systems. From the Daily Star, 18 June 1987.

David and Emanuel Schreiber jailed for fraud, 1986 covers the Old Bailey gold-VAT prosecutions of brothers David Schreiber (born 1952) (Companies House August 1952; later principal of the Midos Group at 147 Stamford Hill) and Emanuel Schreiber (b. May 1956), and the bankruptcy and property aftermath.

They are not David Schreiber (born 1976), David Abraham Schreiber (July 1947, Schreiber Furniture / kitchens), or the Har Nof David (August 1963).

Press in January 1984 recorded both brothers as US citizens. Addresses used in the case: David, Upper Clapton Road / 143 Upper Clapton Road, London E5; Emanuel, 14 Craven Walk, Stamford Hill N16.[1][2]

How the fraud was described in court

Prosecution case (Hubert Dunn QC, 1985–86): shell traders associated with the brothers — named in the Jewish Chronicle as Antalya Ltd and Omeret Ltd / Omerton Ltd (spellings vary by cutting) — imported gold from Switzerland (about £39 million on Dunn’s figure) and bought Krugerrands and Maple Leaf coins from London dealers. Most of the metal was sold on to Charterhouse Japhet Ltd for just under £69 million. Buyers paid 15 per cent VAT; little of that VAT reached Customs and Excise. Dunn put VAT pocketed at £8,975,187 on gold of about £69 million. The indictment window used at trial was December 1979 / March 1981 to January 1982.[3][4]

Customs later treated the Schreiber trial as the first of the “Operation Ernie” gold-VAT series (named after the Premium Bond computer). The June 1987 trial of Grunfeld, Lee and White was reported as the second, on a wider £20 million loss.[5][6]

Timeline

Date Forum What the cuttings say
1 January – 31 December 1981 Charge window (early remands) False VAT claims to Customs at Alexander House, Southend-on-Sea.[7]
February 1982 First charging Eight charged with De Vries and Bogenstein, who later absconded.[8]
10 December 1982 Bow Street / JC Jack Levison of Craven Walk, Stamford Hill, ordered to surrender £120,000 bail after Bernard De Vries and Arie Bogenstein left Britain. Co-accused named: David Schreiber, Michael Schreiber, Moshe Getter, Alexander Grunfeld, Thomas Lee, Margaret Braithwaite.[9]
November 1982 – January 1983 Bow Street remands Eight on bail: Margaret Braithwaite (28, Heywood Court, Rhodes); Mendel Cohen (29, Goodyers Gardens, Hendon); Vivian / Vivien Cohen (57, Rodborough Road, Southgate); Alexander Grunfeld (38, Butthill Court, Prestwich); Thomas Lee (38, Manchester Road, Rossendale); David Schreiber (29, Upper Clapton Road, Clapton); Emanuel / Em-Manuel Schreiber (27, Craven Walk, Stoke Newington); Moshe Getter (31). Next dates 12 January, 25 May 1983.[7][10]
14 January 1983 Jewish Chronicle “Eight in fraud case get bail.” Figure given as a £19 million VAT fraud. Magistrate William Robins: about 18,000 documents and 40–50 bank accounts; conspiracy charges to be added. Deferred to 25 May for Passover. De Vries (28) and Bogenstein (36) already gone.[8]
1 July 1983 Middleton Guardian Further remand; appear 5 October. Getter now Allerton Road, Stoke Newington.[11]
13 January 1984 Highbury Corner “Hearing opens.” Conspiracy with others between January 1979 and January 1982. Dock list includes Moshe Getter (Stamford Hill); David Schreiber (Clapton); “his brother, Emanuel, of Stamford Hill … both of whom are US citizens”; Mendel Cohen and father Vivian (St John’s Wood); Grunfeld; Braithwaite; Lee. Reporting restrictions not lifted.[1]
8 November 1985 Old Bailey “£9 million VAT fraud trial opens.” Accused: the two brothers. Companies: Antalya Ltd and Omeret Ltd. Dunn: others including Bernard De Vries and Abraham Lipschitz had fled; smaller players exempted. Brothers deny four counts of untrue VAT returns and conspiracy, December 1979 – January 1982.[3]
24–25 April 1986 Old Bailey (Judge John Owen QC) Convictions after a six-month trial said to have cost over £2 million. David Schreiber, 33, six years; Emanuel Schreiber, 30, four-and-a-half years. Each ordered to pay £195,000 costs. Also made criminally bankrupt. Companies named Omerton Ltd and Antalya Ltd in the 2 May 1986 Jewish Chronicle. Owen: men who “plot with others to carry out a huge fraud such as this, must expect lengthy prison sentences.” Photo caption: “Brothers Emanuel (left) and David Schreiber.”[4][12]
1 July 1986 High Court Bankruptcy petitions filed. Matter 2077 of 1986 (David); 2076 of 1986 (Emanuel).[2]
8 June 1987 High Court Receiving orders. David: unemployed, no fixed address, lately company director and jeweller of 143 Upper Clapton Road, E5. Emanuel: same formula, lately of 14 Craven Walk, N16.[2]
17–18 June 1987 Old Bailey (Judge Michael Coombe) — Operation Ernie Second gold-VAT trial. Alexander Grunfeld, 43, four years (described as brains of this limb); Thomas Lee, 43, three years; George White, 37, two years. Margaret Braithwaite, 33, acquitted; photographed kissing the convicted men. Criminal bankruptcy £1,650,000 against Grunfeld and Lee; White £10,000 compensation plus £5,000 costs. Papers state that “last April” David and Emmanuel Schreiber were jailed for hiving off £9 million VAT on £80 million of transactions in 11 months. Still wanted: Bernard Devries, Abraham Lipschitz, Benjamin Stolzberg; Ronnie and Vivian Cohen then thought to be in Canada. Taxpayer loss on this limb put at £20 million; no recovery.[5][13][6]
18 March 1987 / 19 May 1987 Official Receiver First meetings (Atlantic House) and public examinations (Court 38A, Strand) in both bankruptcy estates.[14]
19 January 1989 High Court Emanuel: application for discharge listed.[15]
6 February 1998 / 27 March 1998 Gazette David: last day for proofs on intended dividend; official receiver released as trustee 27 March 1998.[16]
1 April 1999 Gazette Emanuel: last day for proofs on intended dividend (Official Receiver, Birmingham support unit).[17]

After prison: property

Gazette and Companies House show the brothers leaving jewellery / gold trading descriptions (“company director and jeweller”) and, from the 1990s, a Stamford Hill property stack later branded around 147 Stamford Hill and the Midos Group.

Voluntary windings-up in the Gazette, 25 April 2017, list Lakeview Commercial Ltd (04111517), Lakeview Homes Limited (03888222), Lakeview Properties (UK) Ltd (04211575) and Lakeview Services (UK) Ltd (03860081), all 147 Stamford Hill, with David Schreiber or Jacob Schreiber as the director signing the notices and David Rubin & Partners as liquidators.[18] On 17 September 2018 a bundle of Limeview / Springshield companies at the same address was put into members’ voluntary liquidation with David Schreiber named as chair.[19]

Discovery Park in Kent (landlord site later hosting Instro Precision, an Elbit Systems subsidiary) sits in the same 147 Stamford Hill director set (Jacob Schreiber January 1974 and related Midos vehicles), not on the 1986 indictment. It is the later commercial estate, not the 1979–82 gold companies.

Sparkstone Properties / Jessam Avenue and David Schreiber (born 1976) are a different officer ID and must not be collapsed into the 1986 convict.

People named in the cuttings (not all convicted in 1986)

Name Role in the cuttings
David Schreiber (33 in April 1986) Convicted; six years; 143 Upper Clapton Road
Emanuel Schreiber (30 in April 1986) Convicted; four-and-a-half years; 14 Craven Walk
Michael Schreiber Named with the six in the December 1982 bail story; not in the 1986 sentencing pair
Moshe Getter Early remands; Highbury dock 1984
Mendel Cohen / Vivian (Vivien) Cohen Remands; Vivian later said to be in Canada (1987)
Alexander Grunfeld 1987 conviction, four years
Thomas Lee 1987 conviction, three years
George White 1987 conviction, two years
Margaret Braithwaite Acquitted June 1987
Bernard De Vries / Devries; Arie Bogenstein; Abraham Lipschitz; Benjamin Stolzberg Fled / wanted
Jack Levison Surety, Craven Walk, 1982

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 “Hearing opens,” Jewish Chronicle, 13 January 1984.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 London Gazette receiving orders, matters 2076 and 2077 of 1986; order 8 June 1987; petition 1 July 1986.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 “£9 million VAT fraud trial opens,” Jewish Chronicle, 8 November 1985.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 “Fraudsters jailed,” Jewish Chronicle, 2 May 1986.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 “The Golden Fleece,” Daily Star, 18 June 1987.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 “The £20m sting,” Western Daily Press, 18 June 1987.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 “Eight on VAT charges,” Middleton Guardian, 12 November 1982.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 “Eight in fraud case get bail,” Jewish Chronicle, 14 January 1983.
  9. ↑ “‘Boy scout’ loses £120,000,” Jewish Chronicle, 10 December 1982.
  10. ↑ “Eight on VAT-claim charges,” Middleton Guardian, 21 January 1983.
  11. ↑ “New remand for VAT-charge eight,” Middleton Guardian, 1 July 1983.
  12. ↑ “Judge says it with flowers,” The Scotsman, 25 April 1986.
  13. ↑ Belfast News Letter, 18 June 1987.
  14. ↑ London Gazette first meeting / public examination notices, matters 2076 and 2077 of 1986.
  15. ↑ London Gazette, 23 November 1988, application for discharge, Emanuel Schreiber.
  16. ↑ London Gazette intended dividend and release of trustee, David Schreiber, 1998.
  17. ↑ London Gazette notice of intended dividend, Emanuel Schreiber, 4 March 1999.
  18. ↑ Gazette voluntary winding-up notices, Lakeview companies, 25 April 2017.
  19. ↑ Gazette Limeview / Springshield windings-up, 28 September 2018.
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