Fraud: Convictions and sentences
October 2024

Company Director Imprisoned for Unpaid £220,000 Tax Debt

A director from Bury has been sentenced to prison for failing to maintain accounting records and leaving more than £220,000 in unpaid tax. When his company, a limited electrical firm, was liquidated in 2019, he failed to provide current records to the Insolvency Service. As a result, the Official Receiver couldn’t properly assess the company’s financial status or locate assets. The liquidation followed a winding-up petition from HMRC, which was owed £221,600. The director, who was solely responsible, has now been jailed for his actions.

Charity Treasurer Sentenced for £230,000 Fraud

A treasurer and trustee of an animal rescue charity has been sentenced to prison after embezzling £230,000 from the organization by submitting fake invoices. The individual, who served in a leadership role with full access to financial accounts, created false invoices for expenses, primarily fictitious veterinary charges, over a six-year period from 2016 to early 2022. The charity, founded in 1996 to help rehome stray animals, entrusted him as a trustee and member of its executive committee, which convened quarterly.

72-Year-Old Sentenced for £118,000 Fraud Scheme

A repeat offender has been jailed after deceiving a grieving neighbour out of £118,000. The individual, aged 72, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. Her neighbour, also in her 70s and recently widowed, moved in next door in 2018. Over time, they developed a close friendship, during which the fraudster fabricated a story about owning a property in Spain, convincing her neighbour to invest in it under the pretence of earning interest.

For two years, she continued the deception, ultimately obtaining £118,000, which she spent on a new car, luxury clothing, and even persuaded her neighbour to cover a trip to Dubai.

Council Accountant Sentenced for £1 Million Fraud

A former senior accountant at a local council has been sentenced to prison for embezzling nearly £1 million in government funds to support a long-standing gambling addiction. Over a 19-year period from 2003 to 2022, the accountant conducted 86 fraudulent transactions, redirecting payments meant for clients into his own bank account. Using his position of trust and extensive knowledge of the council’s financial systems, he successfully carried out this “highly sophisticated” scheme undetected for almost two decades.