A former DVLA employee and two car dealers from Swansea have been sentenced for conspiring to defraud vehicle buyers by manipulating official vehicle records, increasing car values by almost £1.3 million.
Matthew Holloway, 32, who worked in the DVLA special registration team, exploited his position by tampering with ownership histories, removing write-off records, and altering vehicle identities to hide damage and theft.
Car dealers Joshua Sawyer, 31, and Ashley Harris, 44, worked alongside Holloway to sell cars with falsified documents. The dealers earned estimated profits of £75,000 and £90,000 respectively, while Holloway received £23,400 for his involvement.
At Swansea Crown Court, Judge Catherine Richards condemned the scheme as “an example of organised crime” that undermined trust in DVLA records, which are vital for motorists, traders, and law enforcement agencies.
All three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud before sentencing, representing a significant effort to tackle vehicle record tampering across the UK.
Originally published by UKNIP.
