Andy Pilley, the owner of Fleetwood Town, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for a sophisticated scam that deceived enterprises into accepting energy contracts.
Pilley, 53, was given a term at Preston Crown Court for the scheme that preyed on tiny enterprises, including organizations that serve individuals with disabilities and children with cancer.
Pilley was also sentenced to four months in jail in 1998 for conspiring to steal from the Post Office while working as a counter clerk, it was revealed.
On Tuesday, His Honor Judge Knowles KC stated: “Yours could have been the amazing tale of redemption.” Instead, it is a vile tale of greed, deception, and deceit.
A telesales organization that claimed to be independent but was actually under the supervision of Pilley and his sister Michelle Davidson targeted small businesses.
The judge said, “The truth was that he owned them and he made the decisions.”
Many truthful and honorable business owners were tricked into signing lengthy and expensive gas and electricity contracts by cold-calling liars and manipulators. Tens of millions of pounds were spent on their bills.
The yearly turnover of Pilley’s two Business Energy Solutions firms increased from about £15 million to over £100 million between 2010 and 2019.
On Tuesday, July 4, Davidson and two colleagues, Lee Qualter and Joel Chapman, were also sentenced to more than 13 years in prison.
Following his conviction last month, Pilley resigned from his positions as Fleetwood’s chairman and director.
Pilley has been removed as chief executive, and the League One club said in a statement that it “will now be making an application to the league in relation to a change of control for the club.” The statement also stated that the club “remains in communication with the EFL in relation to the implications of the convictions.”
