Former Northampton Town FC chairman appears in court on fraud charges

The former chairman of Northampton Town FC appeared in court today (January 16) in connection with an investigation into an alleged £10.25m theft and fraud case.

David Cardoza, 54, of Eastbourne, was one of five men with former links to the redevelopment of the League One club, due to appear at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on several counts of fraud and money laundering.

The other four included his father - 80-year-old former director Anthony Cardoza, of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, who was excused from appearing at court in person.

Also in the dock was Howard Grossman, a 63-year-old property developer from Bushey in Hertfordshire, his son - 37-year-old Marcus Grossman, of Barnet, and 54-year-old Simon Patnick, of Stanmore, north London.

No pleas were entered at the hearing this morning and all five men were bailed to appear at Northampton Crown Court on 27 February, 2025.

The charges against the five defendants are as follows:

• All five are charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between September 2013 and April 2015. These relate to false representations, allegedly made to Northampton Borough Council, that money loaned by the authority to the football club would be used solely for developing Sixfields Stadium and an adjoining hotel, which were “untrue or misleading”.
• The Cardozas are also both charged with fraud by abuse of position, contrary to section 1 of the Fraud Act, which relates to a sum of £8.75m being paid from the football club to 1st Land Limited, a company owned by Howard Grossman.
• David Cardoza is further charged with transferring criminal property, namely £166,000 in a credit balance via a bank transfer from the bank account of Northampton Town Football Club Limited, knowing or suspecting it to constitute or to represent, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the benefit from criminal conduct.
• In addition to fraud, Howard Grossman faces three charges of transferring criminal property, specifically amounts of £650,000 from the bank account of his company County Homes (Herts) Ltd to his son and fellow director, Hayden Grossman, as well as transferring £10,000 from 1st Land Limited to Simon Patnick and £15,000 from 1st Land Limited to Simpa Investments Limited, a company owned by Simon Patnick.
• Mr Grossman and his son Marcus are further charged with transferring criminal property, namely £20,000, from Marcus Grossman’s account to Simon Patnick, knowing or suspecting it to constitute or to represent, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the benefit from criminal conduct.
• As well as fraud, Patnick is accused of acquiring criminal property contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, namely £61,800 in credit balances via bank transfers from or on behalf of Howard Grossman and Marcus Grossman knowing or suspecting it to constitute or to represent, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the benefit from criminal conduct.
• Howard Grossman faces the same allegation, relating to a sum of £10,000 transferred to Margro Properties Ltd, a company run by Marcus Grossman.

The case marks the first time anyone has been brought before the court in relation to Operation Tuckhill, Northamptonshire Police's investigation into the disappearance of £10.25 million loaned to the club by Northampton Borough Council to develop a new stand and hotel.