A former Financial Times employee who used secret passwords to transfer £60,000 cash to a string of accounts – funding foreign trips to millionaires playground Dubai – was jailed for two years today (Tuesday).
Ex-telesales executive Amir Massoud Tofangsazan, 22, of Staten House, Rillaton Walk, Milton Keynes previously billed the F.T. for £3,511 in taxi rides after becoming “seduced by an extravagant lifestyle”.
“You proceeded over three months to obtain £60,000 from the F.T. and spent it on goodness knows what, living a luxurious lifestyle wholly beyond your means while on bail,” Southwark Crown Court Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith told Tofangsazan.
Newly married Tofangsazan’s 23 year-old nurse wife, who is five weeks pregnant, was in court with the defendant’s parents and other relatives and burst into tears after her husband was jailed, fearing for his safety in prison.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing criminal property namely £26,578.56; £9,058.81; £8,900.64 and £15,479.57 between April 1 and June 30 last year, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Tofangsazan also pleaded guilty to possessing two electronic documents purporting to have originated from the Financial Times, stating he was authorized to receive those funds, on July 17, last year at his former home at Hollow Lanes, Snodland, Kent, Contrary to the Fraud Act.
He also rose to Internet infamy after a disgruntled customer posted personal details of Tofangsazan on the web after buying a broken laptop on EBay and briefly became the poster-boy of dodgy online dealers.
Prosecutor Mr. Tim Clark said: “The defendant was employed by the Financial Times (pictured) in 2007 as a temporary contractor, a telesales executive.
“In June 2008 a number of suspicious refunds had been made from internal bank accounts dealing with conferences.
“Further investigation showed these accounts were paid into the defendant’s bank account or into credit card accounts held by his girlfriend Karen Roberts, which he had a second card for and was able to spend money on the accounts and withdraw cash.”
There were 13 transfers to an MBNA account, 4 to a Barclays and 4 more to a Capital One, all belonging to his ex-girlfriend and 9 into a Lloyds TSB controlled by the defendant.
“The defendant logged on to a F.T. database using genuine details of an employee out of hours and instructed that these funds be sent to these accounts,” said Mr. Clark.
“As part of their investigation the F.T. identified two computer addresses in the UAE and the UK. He was spending money in Dubai at the time these instructions were being received.
“The defendant sought to withdraw large cash sums from banks and credit cards and he was in contact anxiously asking if the money had been paid.”
Tofangsazan even told the banks’ own fraudbuster teams he was entitled to the payouts in the form of a refund for conference tickets he cancelled.
When arrested by City of London Police on July 17 he tried to bluff it out, telling officers he had no idea where the money came from.
Detectives seized his laptop and it contained two forged letters from the F.T’s Company Secretary Alison Fortescue. “ The letters were instructing others to pay him sums of money. It’s hard to see if they were to be used for future fraud.”
Tofangsazan’s previous crimes against the F.T. include billing them for taxi rides, including a round trip to Aberdeen for which he received 200 hours community service at Wood Green Crown Court.
He also duped a national recruitment agency into believing he worked closely with ex-Microsoft chief Bill Gates on who’s behalf he was taking over a U.K. business the agency placed him with.
The agency was then duped into providing interview facilities, female interviewees and a PA.
His lawyer Warwick Aleeson told the court: “He became embroiled in debt and involved with friends who lived a lifestyle beyond his means. He became seduced by an extravagant lifestyle.”
Police recovered £30,000 of the F.T’s money – half the total taken – and the remainder will have to be pursued via the civil courts.
“He understands the folly and arrogance of what he did,” added Mr. Aleeson.
“He has flirted with offences of significant gravity and has been caught doing it twice.
“He is an intelligent young man who could succeed significantly in life.”
The previous four weeks on remand were Tofangsazan’s first taste of custody.
“His Middle Eastern appearance has given rise to jibes in custody,” added Mr. Aleeson.
“He is in solitary confinement for his own safety and has found it a harrowing experience. He has had a punishing taste of the effects of his criminality.”
Judge Loraine-Smith said: “It is all lavish living. He embarks on a spree using information he fraudulently obtained.
“This was theft from employer of a stark kind and all while awaiting sentence for similar offences.”
No comments:
Post a Comment