Marius Serban was convicted on 30 September 2026 at Highbury Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to two offences under section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. He was ordered to pay a total of £904, comprising a £180 fine per offence, a £144 victim surcharge, and £400 in prosecution costs.
Mr Serban had applied for an SIA licence in October 2025 and was asked to provide two character references to support an appeal against a potential licence refusal due to a previous conviction. He supplied a reference purporting to be from a former employer, despite never having worked at the business. A second reference claimed to be from a doctor not registered with the General Medical Council.
Tara Moutray, SIA Criminal Investigations Manager, stated that these acts of forgery resulted in a conviction and an order to pay almost £1,000. Ms Moutray added that Mr Serban attempted to put public safety at risk by trying to obtain an SIA licence illegally.