Bureaucrat behind bars for creating 1,400 fake kids

There's tax fraud, then there's taking the piss

A civil servant and his accomplice are both behind bars today after being found guilty of a massive identity and tax credit fraud.

John Brian Agdomar, 42, of Hackney, East London, got four and a half years for tax credit fraud, relating to the creation of identities for 1,400 imaginary children and the claiming of £1.2m in tax credits.

Agdomar used his job at the Department of Work and Pensions to illegally access 2,500 people's personal records and divert existing tax credit claims into bank accounts he controlled.

He was helped by Olanekan Omatayo Ogunmekan, 34, of Bethnal Green, East London. He got 52 months for conspiracy to commit fraud and a default sentence of 30 months for failing to repay £162,652.71, as he was ordered to by the court.

Agdomar was also charged with abusing his position of trust within the civil service.

Full HMRC release is here.