A gang who pleaded to stealing £54million from British taxpayers in an 'industrial-scale' benefit fraud scheme were caught on video throwing wads of cash into the air.
Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26, who are all Bulgarian nationals, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering. Video showed the group celebrating in an unknown locatio and the footage starts with the sight of wads of cash wrapped together. Next, gang members - including the person filming - are seen flinging the cash about in celebratory fashion as thousands of pounds fly through the air.
Wood Green Crown Court earlier heard how between October 2016 and May 2021, the organised crime group made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using either real people or hijacked identities. The claims were supported by an array of forged documents, including fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips and forged letters from landlords, employers, and GPs.
Money gained from these fraudulent claims was then laundered as it was moved between a number of accounts through numerous transfers and withdrawn in cash, the court heard. Speaking after the case, Ben Reid, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: "This case is the largest benefit fraud prosecution ever brought to the courts in England and Wales.
"For a number of years, these defendants conspired to commit industrial-scale fraud against the Universal Credit system, costing the taxpayer more than £50 million. Submitting thousands of false claims, the organised criminals enriched themselves from government funds designed to protect and help the most vulnerable people in our society.
This was a complex and challenging case which required close and effective working between CPS prosecutors, the Department for Work and Pensions and our international partners in both Bulgaria and through the UK desk at Eurojust, to dismantle and successfully prosecute the organised crime group.
The guilty pleas entered by all five defendants, reflects the strength of the evidence against them."The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division and DWP will now pursue confiscation proceedings against the defendants, to remove from them any available criminal benefit from this enterprise."
Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “I am immensely proud of DWP investigators’ work, in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, to take down this organised crime group. Building on our success in preventing £18 billion going into the wrong hands in 2022/23, these convictions underline our commitment to protecting taxpayers’ money. It is only right and fair that we bring those stealing from the public purse to justice.”