A crooked tax agent who stole more than £750,000 in a tax and mortgage fraud, has been jailed.
Following a joint investigation between HMRC and Leicestershire Police, Robin Moss was found to have lied about his income, made bogus claims for unsuspecting clients and provided false documents in fraudulent mortgage applications.
A jury at Nottingham Crown Court found the former Melton Mowbray resident guilty of multiple counts of tax fraud and theft offences, and he was jailed for ten years.
His wife Liliana Moss, 49, was also sentenced for money laundering to the value of £115,000. She was given seven months in prison, suspended for 12 months, after admitting her crime.
The court heard how Mr Moss, 58, splashed his ill-gotten gains on luxury items, including pottery, gold coins and jewellery.
He spent more than £115,000 on collectable Moorcroft pottery, £89,251 on gold coins and £18,930 on jewellery.
Robin Moss and his wife Liliana were living in Scotland when they were arrested by HMRC officers at their home on Kirkland Road, Dumfries, on 16 July 2018. The pair later moved to Cleator in Cumbria before traveling to Poland.
A jury took just 55 minutes to find Robin Moss guilty in his absence, as he failed to appear at court for sentencing.
“I’m glad they saw how this so-called ‘professional’ was taking advantage of his clients, who believed his work was genuine,” said Former Leicestershire Police Detective, Jason Helmn, who now works for the East Midlands Special Operations Unit.
“He went to great lengths to hide his criminality, shown in a complex web of transactions which proved how he converted his criminally obtained funds into cash and high value items.
“This has been a lengthy investigation and one that has required a lot of hard work and tenacity across both police and HMRC.”
Nick Stone, Operational Lead in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Robin Moss abused his position of trust to steal from clients and the taxpayer.
“Tax fraud is never a victimless crime and the eye-watering sums he spent on pottery and gold should have been funding the public services we all rely on.
“I hope this sentence serves as a warning to the minority of corrupt professionals who wrongly believe they can use their knowledge to commit fraud.”
Action to recover the stolen money is underway.
