Six former military clerks are due to be sentenced today for their role in defrauding the Ministry of Defence out of more than £900,000 by manipulating an online administration system used for salaries, expenses and allowances.
The fraud centres around the use of the MoD’s Joint Personal Administration system and saw the six defendants – all of whom were based at Regent’s Park Barracks in central London – benefit from false expenses claims totalling £911,677.66.
Southwark Crown Court heard yesterday that former corporal Aaron Stelmach-Purdie, 34, had run the scam between November 2014 and January 2016. He was said to have kept £557,093 of the proceeds of the fraud for himself.
During the period that he was responsible for the management of claims for expenses and allowances, Stelmach-Purdie used his position to make fraudulent claims on his own JPA account and those of others. He used other people’s bank accounts – including those of family members – to hide the proceeds.
Stelmach-Purdie previously pleaded guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and one count of money laundering.
Also due for sentencing in the case are former sergeant Roger Clerice, 28; former sergeant Allan O'Neil, 48; former lance sergeant Lee Richards, 41; former corporal Anthony Sharwood, 38; and former lance sergeant Peter Wilson, 55. All have already been convicted of money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Southwark Crown Court heard that the case involved a total of 161 fraudulent claims, all of which Stelmach-Purdie had been involved with.