A 49-year-old man who posed as an estate agent has been sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding multiple victims of more than R800,000 in a property scam.

Theophillus Mncedi Pato received his sentence in the East London Regional Court this week after being convicted on three counts of fraud. The court suspended two years of his six-year sentence for five years on condition he avoids fraud or theft convictions.

Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said Pato and his co-accused Makhlubandile Nqoma, 51, convinced victims to deposit money for properties that were not actually for sale between 2016 and 2018.

The Hawks arrested both men in June 2022 following investigations into the scheme where they falsely presented themselves as estate agents. They were initially granted R1,000 bail each.

The victims transferred payments but never received the properties they believed they had purchased. Pato must now serve his prison term without the option of a fine.

His accomplice Nqoma’s trial continues separately and is scheduled to resume in March 2025.