Fraudster gets four years’ jail for swindling £2.9m from recruitment company
1 September 2014
A fraudster who stole £2.9m from creative, digital and media recruitment firm Devonshire Appointments, has been jailed for four years after a hearing in the Old Bailey on Friday [29 August].
Mon, 1 Sep 2014
A fraudster who stole £2.9m from creative, digital and media recruitment firm Devonshire Appointments, has been jailed for four years after a hearing in the Old Bailey on Friday [29 August].
Payroll administrator Dennis Harold swindled Devonshire Appointments out of £2.9m between 2007 and 2013 by inventing temporary staff and paying wages into more than 20 bank accounts in false names, various media outlets have reported.
Harold worked for the company for 14 years and spent much of the money on gambling, taxis, an expensive divorce and sending money to Thailand where he had a fiancé or wife.
A colleague, Shamsur Rahman, discovered the fraud in 2008. He demanded a £1.1m cut of the scam, instead of reporting it to bosses. Rahman continued to demand money from Harold even after being made redundant.
They were discovered in 2013 when an audit uncovered a small accounting discrepancy.
Harold pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.
Rahman pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property, and has promised to pay back the money.
In sentencing the two to four years in jail, Recorder Michael Wood QC said it was an “appalling breach of trust”.
Recruiter has attempted several times to contact Devonshire Appointments but has yet to hear back from the company.
A fraudster who stole £2.9m from creative, digital and media recruitment firm Devonshire Appointments, has been jailed for four years after a hearing in the Old Bailey on Friday [29 August].
Payroll administrator Dennis Harold swindled Devonshire Appointments out of £2.9m between 2007 and 2013 by inventing temporary staff and paying wages into more than 20 bank accounts in false names, various media outlets have reported.
Harold worked for the company for 14 years and spent much of the money on gambling, taxis, an expensive divorce and sending money to Thailand where he had a fiancé or wife.
A colleague, Shamsur Rahman, discovered the fraud in 2008. He demanded a £1.1m cut of the scam, instead of reporting it to bosses. Rahman continued to demand money from Harold even after being made redundant.
They were discovered in 2013 when an audit uncovered a small accounting discrepancy.
Harold pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.
Rahman pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property, and has promised to pay back the money.
In sentencing the two to four years in jail, Recorder Michael Wood QC said it was an “appalling breach of trust”.
Recruiter has attempted several times to contact Devonshire Appointments but has yet to hear back from the company.
