An illegal
Ukrainian immigrant and a former high street bank employee, who
organised a £3.2m self assessment tax fraud, were jailed today
following a lengthy investigation by HM Revenue & Customs
(HMRC).
Oleg Rozputnii was sentenced to three years and nine months
imprisonment, and Nikola Novakovic was sentenced to 3 years and
three months imprisonment at Harrow Crown Court. Rozputnii is also
subject to automatic deportation.
Oleg Rozputnii, 28, of no fixed abode and Nikola Novakovic, 34,
from North London, registered over 1,050 fictitious taxpayers on
the Income Tax Self Assessment system. They swindled tax
repayments using over 200 false bank accounts to commit the fraud.
Between January 2008 and September 2010 they stole £3.2m in the
scam.
The money was withdrawn from cash points or was transferred
through a web of linked accounts set up by the fraudsters.
Rozputnii used numerous false identities to help commit the fraud
and conceal his involvement, whilst living illegally in the UK. He
also arranged for some of the financial proceeds to be transferred
back to the Ukraine.
Their accomplice Dmytro Shepel, 26, a Ukrainian, also from
London, was jailed for three and a half years at Woolwich Crown
Court in August 2010, for his part in the fraud. He will be
deported upon release.
Upon sentencing, Mr Recorder Singh QC said:
"This was a sophisticated and orchestrated fraud
", adding that Novakovic "had abused his
position with the bank."
Joe Rawbone, Assistant Director of HMRC Criminal Investigation said:
"These men ran an audacious scam stealing millions of
pounds. They set up hundreds of false bank accounts using viruses
to hack into personal computers to gain information. They used
their illegal profits to fund lavish lifestyles buying performance
cars, including Porches, Mercedes and Jaguars. HMRC takes tax
fraud extremely seriously and we will recover any financial gain
from this criminal activity."
Both men pleaded guilty to 'Cheating the Public
Revenue' at a hearing in March and were sentenced at
Harrow Crown Court today.
Notes for editors
Oleg Rozputnii, DOB 22.09.1982, (also known as Oleg Martinovs,
Kai Wagner, Viktors Dedjusko, Peter Friesen, Dietmar Hein and
Dmitry Kubartas), a Ukrainian national of no fixed abode, but
linked to addresses in Finchley, Leyton, Hanger Lane and South
Ruislip and other addresses in North, East and North West London,
pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court to Cheating the Public
Revenue contrary to common law on 8 March 2011. He was sentenced
to 3 years 9 months imprisonment on 8 April 2011. Rozputnii is
also subject to automatic deportation upon release in accordance
with Section 32 of the UK Borders Act 2007.Nikola Novakovic, DOB
08.02.1977, of 67 Gascony Avenue, Kilburn, London, a former local
business manager at a bank, pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court
to Cheating the Public Revenue contrary to common law on 8 March
2011. He was sentenced to 3 years 3 months imprisonment on 8 April
2011.Dmytro Shepel (also known as Dimitrijus Kubartas), DOB
22.03.1985, of 31 Dando Crescent, Kidbrooke, London pleaded guilty
to Cheating the Public Revenue and possessing an identity document
that was false contrary to section 25 of the Identity Cards Act
2006. On 3 August 2010 he was sentenced for both offences to three
and a half years and one year, to run concurrently. Confiscation
proceedings are in place.HMRC criminal investigators worked with
the Metropolitan Police to co-ordinate arrests and house searches.
During searches of Rozputnii’s Mercedes and Novakovic’s two
Porsches officers found records detailing numerous false bank
accounts used to receive the tax repayments, false utility bills
used to substantiate addresses and handwritten notes with details
of fake identities. If anyone has any information to report to HM
Revenue & Customs (HMRC) about any individuals or
businesses that may be evading tax, please contact the Tax Evasion
hotline by calling 0800 788 887 or via the website
www.hmrc.gov.uk/tax-evasion.Photos of the defendants and their
cars are available from
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=419103&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=257
Follow HMRC on Twitter @HMRCgovuk
Contacts:
HMRC Out of Hours
Phone: 07860 359544
NDS.HMRC@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Jonathan Hall
Phone: 020 7147 0052
jonathan.hall@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk