Fraudster who claimed wages of more than £200,000 from his own employer jailed for three years

Thomas Armin worked for a recruitment agency in Sheffield and had set up fake names on the company's payroll system and putting his own bank details against their names, while also submitting timesheets for their work.

It meant the wages for these 'workers' were sent straight into his bank account, which Armin then used to 'enhance his overall lifestyle', police said.

The 30-year-old, of High Street, Ecclesfield, was reported to South Yorkshire Police following a meeting with his employers in April 2019.

Detective Constable Natalie Bettison said: “Armin’s actions surfaced after a meeting between his employer and one of their clients, where it was alleged that the client owed the agency money.

“Following the meeting, Armin called his boss admitting that he had ‘been stupid’ and ‘done things wrong’ and it transpired that he had defrauded his employers out of thousands of pounds. They took the right steps and reported Armin to police, who was arrested.”

During interviews with police, Armin explained how he had fraudulently claimed the cash.

DC Bettison added: “Armin submitted timesheets for seven people, making sure they were ‘signed off’ by real site managers as to keep up the illusion.

“These timesheets had eventually been picked up by the client and flagged to the recruitment agency as being suspicious.

“By the time we investigated him he had spent all the money, bar a few thousand pounds. He did not keep records, but the total amount of money was around £200,000. Armin’s motives were clear - to enhance his overall lifestyle.

“It is right that he has been served a custodial sentence today, he shamelessly defrauded his own employer and he also used the names of people he had worked with in the past to do so.

“This was distressing for them and their families to be implicated in the investigation. We take this type of criminality incredibly seriously and we understand the impact it can have on businesses and employers.”

Armin pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation on 10 July 2020 and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on October 8.

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James Mitchinson