main content Benefit fraudsters prosecuted

Three benefit fraudsters were sentenced on the 9th January 2008 at Bromley Magistrates Court bringing the total prosecuted to 138 since the inception of Bromley Council’s partnership with Greenwich Council in April 2002.

Council Leader Stephen Carr said “These prosecutions emphasise our determination to work with other agencies to detect fraud and vigorously pursue fraudsters to ensure that public funds are protected as well as having a deterrent effect.”

Richard Roots, 42, of Chorleywood Crescent, St Paul’s Cray, pleaded guilty to defrauding Bromley Council of housing and council tax benefits totalling £2,984 intermittently over a period September 2003 to June 2007. He was identified as part of a government matching exercise after failing to notify that his job seekers allowance had ceased. He was sentenced to a £200 fine and ordered to pay £200 costs.

Antonio Pappalardo, 52, of Princes Road, Penge, pleaded guilty to defrauding Bromley Council of housing and council tax benefits totalling £3,195 over a period November 2006 to April 2007. He was identified as part of a government matching exercise after failing to declare that his wife was working and that they had an undeclared bank account. He was sentenced to a 18 month Conditional Discharge and ordered to pay £200 costs.

Phillip O’Brien, 28, formerly of High Street, Orpington was found guilty in his absence of defrauding Bromley Council of housing benefit totalling £2,289 over a period August 2006 to January 2007. He was identified as part of a government matching exercise after failing to declare that his job seekers allowance had ceased. He was subsequently arrested on a warrant and sentenced on the 9th January 2008 to a 12 month Conditional Discharge, ordered to pay the full overpayment of benefit back to Bromley Council and to pay £1,000 costs.

The Council is in the process of recovering the overpayment of benefits in all these cases.

ENDS


Notes to editors: 
Anyone with information about a suspected benefit fraud should contact (in strict confidence) the Fraud Hotline on 0800 169 6975 

Bromley Council works in partnership with Greenwich Council’s Corporate Anti-Fraud Team. 

For media enquiries, please contact Luis Remedios, Audit Manager, on 020 8313 4886 or email luis.remedios@bromley.gov.uk