LONDON – Monday, March 30, 2026 – Oerta Korfuzi, a UK national, has been convicted of a sophisticated £1 million insider dealing and money laundering scheme, orchestrated with her brother, Redinel Korfuzi. The conviction, secured by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), marks a significant victory in the fight against market abuse, exposing a criminal enterprise that exploited confidential information and laundered illicit cash across international borders.
The Charges Against Oerta Korfuzi
Oerta Korfuzi, born on September 10, 1988, was found guilty of conspiracy to insider deal, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and section 52(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1993. She was also convicted of dealing in criminal property (money laundering), contrary to section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Her brother, Redinel Korfuzi, a former research analyst at Janus Henderson, was similarly convicted on both counts. The siblings used Redinel’s access to confidential, price-sensitive information to make illegal trades, while simultaneously running a separate, unrelated money laundering operation.
Scale of the Crime: A £1 Million Haul
The insider dealing scheme, active from December 17, 2019, to March 25, 2021, generated profits exceeding £960,000. Redinel Korfuzi, leveraging his position at Janus Henderson, obtained confidential details about companies’ plans to raise equity or sell large blocks of shares – information guaranteed to impact share prices. He then fed this intelligence to Oerta Korfuzi, who executed trades using Contracts for Difference (CFDs) in at least 13 companies, including prominent names like Daimler, Jet2, and THG. The strategy involved taking positions anticipating a price drop following market announcements, then closing positions for substantial gains.
In parallel, the Korfuzis engaged in an extensive money laundering operation from January 1, 2019, to March 25, 2021. They received “dirty cash” from unrelated proceeds of crime, making 176 cash deposits totalling £198,210. These deposits were made into accounts in both the UK and Albania, highlighting the international scope of their illicit activities. In total, the Korfuzi siblings netted over £1 million from their combined criminal enterprises. While no individual victims are named, the integrity of the UK’s financial markets was severely compromised, affecting all legitimate participants.
Who Is Oerta Korfuzi?
Oerta Korfuzi, a UK national, was the active trader in the insider dealing scheme, executing the illicit trades based on information provided by her brother. Her involvement was crucial to the operation, as she managed the trading accounts, including her own, and those operated by Redinel’s personal trainer, Rogerio de Aquino, and his partner, Dema Almeziad. While Aquino and Almeziad were acquitted, Oerta Korfuzi’s direct role in the trading and her complicity in the money laundering were central to the prosecution’s case. Her conviction paints a picture of a calculated individual willing to exploit market vulnerabilities for personal gain.
Investigation Details: FCA’s Market Surveillance Uncovers Deception
The elaborate fraud was meticulously uncovered by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with crucial assistance from the Metropolitan Police during the arrest phase. The FCA’s sophisticated market monitoring systems proved instrumental, detecting suspicious trading patterns that deviated significantly from normal market behaviour. Analysts then delved into vast datasets of trading activity, meticulously piecing together the evidence that exposed the Korfuzi siblings’ scheme. It was during this in-depth investigation that the international money laundering operation also came to light, broadening the scope of the charges.
“This case underscores the FCA’s unwavering commitment to detecting and prosecuting those who undermine the integrity of our financial markets. Our advanced surveillance capabilities are a powerful deterrent against insider dealing, and we will continue to pursue individuals who believe they can profit from illicit information.”
The Korfuzis were arrested in March 2021 as part of a multi-site search operation. Charges followed in early 2023, culminating in an 18-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, which began on February 20, 2025. Both Oerta and Redinel Korfuzi were found guilty on June 19, 2025. Oerta Korfuzi was sentenced on July 4, 2025, to five years imprisonment for insider dealing, with a concurrent five-year sentence for money laundering. Redinel Korfuzi received a six-year sentence for insider dealing, along with concurrent sentences for money laundering. The FCA has confirmed it will pursue confiscation orders to recover the proceeds of their crimes.
What Happens Next? Confiscation and Market Protection
With Oerta Korfuzi and her brother now convicted and sentenced, the immediate focus for the FCA shifts to recovering the illicit gains through confiscation orders. These proceedings aim to strip criminals of their ill-gotten wealth, sending a clear message that crime does not pay. The significant prison sentences serve as a stark warning to others contemplating similar market abuses. The FCA remains vigilant, continually refining its market surveillance and enforcement strategies to protect the integrity of the UK’s financial system and ensure a level playing field for all investors. For more information on related fraud investigations, visit our archives.
Protecting Yourself: Red Flags to Watch For
This case highlights several critical red flags that individuals and institutions should be aware of. Companies must implement robust controls around confidential information, especially for employees like research analysts who have access to price-sensitive data. A dismissive attitude towards compliance, as reportedly shown by Redinel Korfuzi, should trigger immediate scrutiny and stronger enforcement within financial institutions. The COVID-19 lockdowns, which provided “convenient cover” for the Korfuzis’ remote operations, underscore the increased compliance risks associated with remote work and the need for enhanced remote supervision. Finally, suspicious trading patterns, particularly the use of multiple accounts and significant, repeated cash deposits, are classic indicators of illicit activity. Investors should always be wary of unusually consistent or outsized returns that seem too good to be true, and report any suspicious activity to the authorities to help safeguard the market from further fraud.
