Employee siphoned money into own account to settle pay-day loans and drugs debts
An insurance claims handler who stole £39,000 from his employer to settle pay-day loans and drug debts has today been jailed for 17 months at Cardiff Crown Court.
The court heard that Christian Williams sneaked into his Newport office in the middle of the night numerous times between August 2012 and January 2013, including twice when he was on sick leave, and used his manager’s compromised computer login details to make payments to himself.
The 22-year-old re-opened four genuine household insurance claims that had been closed and in which no settlement payment had been made to the claimant. He then made three fraudulent payments into his former partner’s bank account and a further payment into his own bank account.
But Williams came undone in February 2013 when his employer noticed that two payments had been made to the same bank account and referred the case to the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).
The same month, IFED detectives travelled to Newport and arrested Williams at his office.
In a police interview, Williams (pictured) stated he used a majority of the cash to settle pay-day loans and drugs debts before spending the remainder on a car, holidays and other luxuries.
He admitted to stealing his supervisor’s computer login because he was only able to authorise payments of up to £1,000, whereas managers could sign off up to £10,000.
He also confessed that he had transferred cash into his former partner’s bank account without permission.
Williams, of Stanwell Road in Penarth, was subsequently charged with and pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by abuse of position.
DC Andy Jackson, who led IFED’s investigation, said: “Williams took the decision that his employer was going to be the one to foot the bill for his pay-day loans and drug debts.
“To do this he concocted a scheme that involved sneaking into his office after dark, stealing his manager’s login details and siphoning tens of thousands of pounds into his and his ex-partner’s accounts.
“Unfortunately for him, the close checks conducted by his employer swiftly led to decisive action by IFED, which today leaves him facing 17 months behind bars.
“IFED is dedicated to working with the insurance industry to root out fraudsters and put them in front of the courts.”
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