A SCHOOLBOY ran a global fake goods empire from the attic bedroom of his parents’ home, a court heard.

Faried Patel imported counterfeit computer games, clothes and jewellery worth up to £500,000, then sold them on internet auction site eBay.

He recruited his father, Umer Patel, whose bank account he used to launder money, and also cut his cousin in on the deal. But the empire collapsed when trading standards raided the house and found bedrooms packed with boxes of fake items.

Yesterday, Patel and his father were sentenced to suspended jail terms by Judge Steven Everett, who told the conmen: “Your crimes were serious.”

Adrian Farrow, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court that Patel set up a sophisticated sales operation under the name Premio Sale at the home he shared with his parents in View Street, Daubhill.

Patel said he started his business after meeting his father’s business partner, Naresh Chandari, while on holiday in Dubai. Chandari would source the fake merchandise from manufacturers in the Far East and then send it to Patel’s home, the court heard.

Trading standards officials said they were amazed at the venture’s level of sophistication, with Patel keeping lists of stock and customers, wholesale orders and invoices.

Patel bought Gameboy cartridges for £4.50 each and sold them for up to £18.99. He also sold fake football shirts.

Records from eBay showed that, between May 1, 2004, and August 18, 2005, Patel sold 292 shirts and more than 4,000 Gameboy cartridges.

Proceeds of the sales amounted to £74,000. Large amounts of money were paid into accounts belonging to Patel’s father, 61-year-old Umer Patel, his cousin, Myo Tin Muang Harsan, and Patel’s own bank account. The amounts were then withdrawn in cash.

When trading standards investigators raided the house in August, 2005, it took 39 large bin bags and three van trips to remove all the fake merchandise, estimated to be worth £500,000. The haul included 299 replica football shirts and 930 Game Boy Advance cartridges.

When questioned, Patel, who claims he only made £3,500 from the business, initially said he was saving money to pay for university, but then admitted he had spent the cash. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and using a bank account for the proceeds of crime.

Umer Patel pleaded guilty to allowing his bank account to be used to assist a criminal enterprise.

Brian McKenna, defending Patel, who is now aged 20, said others had set up the business for their own financial benefit and Patel only looked after it.

“In many ways, he was a foot soldier keeping the enterprise ticking over. In allowing himself to become involved to the extent he did was naive and others took advantage of that,” said Mr McKenna.

After the crime was exposed, Patel suffered a nervous breakdown, but he has subsequently passed his A-levels and is now studying for an economics degree.

Mark Smith, defending Umer Patel, a second-hand car dealer, said his client denied receiving any monetary benefit from his son’s dealing.

“This conviction has hit him particularly hard in terms of his standing in the community,” said Mr Smith.

Judge Everett said: “Offences such as these have to be punished by a custodial sentence.”

Faried Patel was sentenced to eight months in custody, suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work. Umer Patel was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years and told he must do 100 hours unpaid work.