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Jail for former bank worker who defrauded customers of £300,000 (7 September 2015)

Date: 07/09/2015
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Jail for former bank worker who defrauded customers of £300,000

A former employee of Halifax and Lloyds Bank has been convicted of a £300,000 fraud and jailed at Plymouth Crown Court.

Mark Cooney access the accounts of six customers – including two vulnerable elderly bank customers – and regularly withdrew sums of money from them.

Audit checks revealed irregular payments from the accounts and investigators found that Cooney had been destroying documents in an attempt to cover up the deception.

The court heard that Cooney stole a total of £276,622.66 from six victims, including £133,410.13 from one customer and £114,861.55 from another. He also stole sums varying between £16.50 and £15,000 from four other customers.

Cooney targeted one victim while working at Halifax between April 2013 and September 2014 – and then went on to target a further five victims while working at Lloyds Bank between September 2014 and March 2015.

On Friday (04/09/15) at Plymouth Crown Court, Cooney was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

District Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) South West, Kathy Taylor, said:

“As a bank employee Mark Cooney, was trusted by his victims.

“They expected him to deal with them fairly and honestly but [he] targeted them because he thought he could take advantage of them.

“His gambling addiction led him to commit ever greater fraud – meaning he could no longer cover his tracks and he must now face the consequences of his crimes.

“We will now seek to recover the money stolen under the Proceeds of Crime Act.”

Duncan Lewis Fraud Lawyers

Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge for fraud – including charges involving financial fraud, company fraud, tax evasion, false accounting, white collar crime, benefit fraud and romance fraud.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a criminal defence lawyer can usually reach a police station to advise on fraud charges within an hour.

Duncan Lewis can also advise at the start of an investigation into fraud, including attending interviews with the DWP, HMRC, SFO, FCA and City of London Police – as well as advising on Confiscation Orders and the Proceeds of Crime Act.

For expert legal advice on fraud charges, call Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers on 020 7923 4020.

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