Visa scam Briton awaits sentence

Former double-glazing salesman Michael Leggett forged visa applications for Britons who were told his firm would secure the necessary paperwork to allow them to legally emigrate to Florida.

The 52-year-old from Norwich, who has been living in Florida, used forged signatures along with fake addresses and phone numbers to secure visas for at least 12 Britons through his company Royal Development.

But the UK investors lost hundreds of thousands of pounds and never received their documents or their dream of moving to the US.

Leggett admitted two counts of conspiracy to commit visa fraud at the US district court in the Middle District of Florida following a plea deal with prosecutors earlier this year and faces up to 10 years in prison.

In documents filed with the court earlier this week, US prosecutors said they were unable to put a final figure on the victims' losses.

The US government, prosecuting, said there were "remaining restitution issues" which "cannot be resolved at this time" and asked the court to set a date at Thursday's hearing, of up to 90 days after sentencing, for the determination of the losses.

Leggett set up Royal Development in Florida and conned a series of British investors whom he led to believe he could arrange lawful visas for them to move to America.

But the US Embassy in London became suspicious and the investors, most of whom said they paid 150,000 dollars (£75,000), never received their documents or the coveted E-2 work visa.

An investigation was started and Leggett was arrested at his rural, lakefront home near the town of St Cloud in Osceola County, Florida, on February 10.