Former Central Bedfordshire Council employee handed suspended sentence for £39.8k housing fraud
A former Central Bedfordshire Council employee has been handed a suspended sentence over housing-related fraud totalling more than £39k.
Kanyin Jolaosho, formerly of Carroll Drive, Bedford, pleaded guilty to 13 counts, committed over the course of his employment to the tune of £39,812.85.
He was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay costs of £3,850, He also received 200 hours unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
His actions were described as ‘despicable’ by the Luton Crown Court judge.
The case was referred to the council’s fraud team after concerns were raised about Jolaosho’s activities at his job as a senior housing officer, often dealing with vulnerable homeless people.
Investigators discovered that Jolaosho manipulated council systems and processes to commit fraud, which included diverting tenants’ rent payments due to be paid to the council, diverting tenants’ deposits and a fake landlord incentive payment.
The council is also pursuing recovery action to reclaim the stolen funds. And it says affected tenants and landlords have not been left out of pocket, with swift action taken to replace any identified losses.
Following the investigation, the council has conducted a rigorous review of processes put in place to prevent fraud.
Cllr John Baker, executive member for finance, said: “The council takes any fraud extremely seriously. These offences represented a serious abuse of position and a breach of the trust placed in council staff. Importantly, swift action was taken to ensure no tenant or landlord was out of pocket and funds were repaid.”