Gambling addict steals £43k from employer due to 'gambling addiction'

A 23 year old man has been found guilty of multiple counts of fraud after stealing over £43,000 from his employer to fund a lavish lifestyle after getting into gambling debt.

Lavish lifestyle and gambling

Bradley Young from Waterlooville, Hampshire, was found guilty of making over 25 unauthorised transactions using funds stolen from his employer A.D Williams Coachworks. Young used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle and his gambling habit over the course of a year.

Young was continuing to get away with the theft until his employers were made aware of his suspicious behaviour after security cameras at local petrol stations, caught CCTVS footage of him purchasing petrol for him and his friends, totalling £1600. When confronted with the footage, Young resigned from his position at the company.

Investigation

After discovering Young’s credit card transactions, the company looked further into their finances and discovered further fraudulent transactions and fake invoices up to the value of over £41,000. Invoices were created for works that hadn’t taken place and issued to existing clients, as well as invoices created for fake clients using different bank accounts to receive money via.

Young also tried to claim that the transactions were carried out by a co-worker whose login and account details he had used while carrying out the frauds. However, she could prove she was away on holiday at the time and that Young had used her details to access the accounts. Young also used the bank accounts of his friend and mother to try and divert attention away from him. He was finally arrested in January 2018 where police discovered the total amount stolen to be in the region of £43,000.

Gambling Habit

Young claimed that he created the elaborate scheme after getting into debt from gambing and as a result, living beyond his means. Young earned a modest salary yet enjoyed a luxury lifestyle with expensive sports cars. He was sentenced this week for his crimes, but avoided jail, instead receiving a 12 month suspended sentence. This was Young’s first offence and he said he was willing to repay the money stolen along with receiving gambling addiction therapy.