Jail for payroll clerk who kept stealing even after he was interviewed by police
Nottinghamshire Police said a payroll clerk has been jailed for stealing more than £55,000 from his bosses.
The force said Robert Carlin moved other staff’s salary payments into his own bank accounts while he worked at a company called Reflex Labels, in Mansfield.
They said even after officers interviewed him he was able to get a job elsewhere and continue to steal money.
The police force said the 40-year-old fraudulently deposited more than £55,700 into six accounts across 34 transactions in the second half of 2018.
It said he made a point of taking final salary payments which should have gone to staff members leaving the business in the hope the amounts would go unnoticed.
He was caught out when an ex-employee spotted a large amount of money had gone missing – before then
The most he took in a single transaction was £2,367 – until he was caught out when an ex-employee spotted a larger amount had gone missing.
The force said Carlin was interviewed under caution by detectives but released pending enquiries, and went on to get a job in the accounts department at Bistrot Pierre, Nottingham, where he committed the same offences again.
The police said more than £7,000 was identified in his bank accounts, and an order was made to prevent him spending the money.
Carlin was later charged with two counts of fraud by abuse of position and the force said he pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court.
It said he claimed he stole the money to help pay off illegal gambling debts – although police said they found no evidence of that.
A spokeswoman for the police said: “A judge labelled him “thoroughly dishonest” and sentenced him to 26 months in prison.
“Carlin had already paid back over £9,000 of the money he stole, and was ordered to pay the £7,694.71 held under restraint as compensation to Reflex Labels.
“The remaining amount of £38,369.16 will remain as outstanding on a confiscation order which can be revisited at any time during Carlin’s lifetime.”
Detective Constable Lucy Ward, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Fraud Investigation team, said: “This was a detailed investigation which involved looking at a variety of evidence from different sources.
“Carlin was a trusted employee but he abused his position by manipulating company systems for his own gain and committing fraud.
“I hope this case sends a clear message to those who believe they can abuse their position for their own financial gain that offences will be uncovered and you will be brought before the courts to answer to your crimes.
“Nottinghamshire Police takes fraud and financial abuse seriously and is committed to investigating reports of this kind, as we recognise the wide-reaching effects this type of crime has on victims.”
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