Jail for fraudster with multiple identities

A fraudster who created multiple identities has been jailed for 7 years after pleading guilty to fraudulently claiming over £2.7million in false VAT repayment.

Roderick Roy devised a complex fraud using a number of different identities, even claiming at one stage that one of them had died. He forged numerous documents and used these to create several bogus companies and multiple bank accounts to siphon off fraudulent repayments.

Roy’s prosecution is the result of a lengthy investigation by the Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO), an independent prosecuting authority that reports to the Attorney General.  When fraud officers began to enquire into the companies no trace could be found of the listed directors; John Morris, Alexander Williams and John McLaren.

Their investigations revealed that Roy had committed fraud to the tune of £2,723,507.75 using the following false identities and companies:

·John Percival Morris, DOB 31 December 1950.

(Director Cherrymist Ltd, Moorford Ltd and Williams and Soares Ltd)

·John McLaren DOB n/k.

(Represented Cherrymist and Moorford)

·Ross Sumner DOB 6 June 1966 or 28 February 1958.

(Company secretary of Moorford Ltd)

·Peter Hanson DOB n/k

(Noble Computer Solutions Ltd)

In sentencing His Honour Judge Ainley told Roy:“A custodial sentence was inevitable. You are a Walter Mitty character and central to this fraud, even continuing after part of the fraud was discovered”.

HMRC also commented on the case, observing that: “The sophistication behind these frauds means that our investigations are increasingly complex but we are committed to pursuing the criminals responsible”.