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Our Ref FOI 3185
Your Ref:
Date: 23/03/2012 23/03/2012
Dear Jean
Re: Request for information under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, first notified to Staffordshire Police on the 16th March 2012.
I refer to the above correspondence in which you request information described in the following terms.
For years 2005 - 2011 inclusive.
(a) How many allegations of fraud, financial, white collar, or
indeed any type of crime implicating, either directly or
indirectly, a member of the legal profession have been reported to
the force?
(b) How many of these allegations were logged in police records,
and assigned a crime report number?
(c) How many of these allegations were referred to the Solicitors’
Regulation Authority, Law Society, or any other regulatory body, in
lieu of a police investigation?
(d) How many were considered “civil matters”?
(e) How many investigations did the force complete as a result of
these allegations?
(f) How many of these allegations were not investigated by the
force?
(g) How many of these investigations were completed as paid
services under the private hire of the police for the performance
of special services under the 1996 Police Act provision?
(h) How many of these investigations resulted in charges being laid
i) under the normal course of police duties and ii) under private
company hire for the performance of special services?
(i) How many resulted in convictions i) under the normal course of
police duties and ii) under private company hire for the
performance of special services?
(j) Please detail the type of crime, the year in which the
allegation was made, and the year in which the investigation was
completed.
(k) Please advise how many police staff have qualifications in
forensic accounting, and what those qualifications are.
(l) Please advise how many times private contractors have been
hired by the force for the purpose of forensic accounting work
during a fraud/white collar crime investigation.
(m) How many of these allegations have culminated in charges being
laid against the complainant as a vexatious litigant?
(n) How many of these allegations have resulted in arrest warrants
being issued against the complainant?
A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is to any extent relying on a claim that any provision in part II relating to the duty to confirm or deny is relevant to the request or on a claim that information is exempt information must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice which-
(a) states the fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question, and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
I can confirm that Staffordshire Police does hold the information requested.
(a) How many allegations of fraud, financial, white collar, or
indeed any type of crime implicating, either directly or
indirectly, a member of the legal profession have been reported to
the force?
Staffordshire Police investigated a solicitor for insurance fraud as a spin off from a larger fraud enquiry, Solicitor was convicted of fraud. Please see below press link for more details.
Local news from Stafford and Staffordshire | Mechanic jailed for car ...
5 Oct 2006 ... A SOLICITOR who threw away his career by plotting to defraud an insurance
company of more than £16000 - claiming his beloved Porsche ...
www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/.../Mechanic-jailed-for-car-export-plot.htm - Cached - Similar
August 2008 Solicitor Veronica Wilkinson was convicted of theft of monies from an elderly client. Please see link below to press coverage. In addition to this her assets were restrained and a Confiscation order made which in turn was paid out as compensation to the victim.
Solicitor who swindled dying millionaire out of £100000 ...
5 Dec 2009 ... Veronica Hyland, 50, forged a power of attorney document and used ... who
worked under her maiden name, Wilkinson, transferred £93236 to ...
www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Solicitor-swindled-dying-millionaire-100-000-breast-reduction-new-car-jailed.html - Similar
Other cases of Solicitor Fraud have been uncovered by Staffordshire Police during investigations carried out by the Economic Crime Unit, in all of the cases the Solicitors concerned, were based outside Staffordshire and liaison was made with other Forces. Two of the cases were referred to the City of London Police, one case is a Metropolitan Police investigation and the fourth case was referred to Greater Manchester Police. The suspected offences were all related to Mortgage Frauds.
(b) How many of these allegations were logged in police records,
and assigned a crime report number?
In each of the incidents that were dealt with by Staffordshire Police crime numbers were allocated, in relation to the cases referred to other Forces there were clear lines of investigation related to Mortgage Frauds and any crime numbers would be the responsibility of the Forces carrying out the investigation.
(c) How many of these allegations were referred to the Solicitors’
Regulation Authority, Law Society, or any other regulatory body, in
lieu of a police investigation?
Investigations often run in tandem with action carried out by the Solicitors regulatory Authority. In all of the instances relating to Mortgage Fraud, the firms have had intervention by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA)..
In all cases where there is clear evidence of a Criminal Offence, this would take precedence and the Police would pursue this offence.
In all of the cases dealt with by Staffordshire, criminal offences have been charged and the individuals pleaded guilty.
(d) How many were considered “civil matters”?
None, all were considered to be criminal investigations.
(e) How many investigations did the force complete as a result of
these allegations?
Two investigations were completed to a stage of Charge and Conviction, details of which are detailed in response to question (a), Phillip Bailey – Insurance Fraud and Veronica Wilkinson – Theft of client monies.
Other Investigations detailed in response (a), were identified as crimes on other Police areas and Investigation material passed over for those Forces to complete.
(f) How many of these allegations were not investigated by the
force?
As previously stated 4 other distinct cases involving Solicitors were uncovered as spin offs from Staffordshire Investigations, all the cases were suspected mortgage frauds. In each case the Frauds involved properties and Solicitors outside the Staffordshire area. We successfully negotiated with the Forces that covered the areas / City of London Police, to take on these investigations because of the levels of suspected fraud that were discovered.
(g) How many of these investigations were completed as paid
services under the private hire of the police for the performance
of special services under the 1996 Police Act provision?
None – We have investigations completed in this manner.
(h) How many of these investigations resulted in charges being laid
i) under the normal course of police duties and ii) under private
company hire for the performance of special services?
i) Two investigations were completed to a stage of Charge and Conviction, details of which are detailed in response to question (a), Phillip Bailey – Insurance Fraud and Veronica Wilkinson – Theft of client monies
ii) Nil.
(j) Please detail the type of crime, the year in which the
allegation was made, and the year in which the investigation was
completed
i) Philip Bailey Solicitor from Stoke on Trent, offences discovered in 2005 following a Police Investigation into Organised Criminal Activity around obtaining High Value cars through Fraud and shipping same to Hong Kong. Spin Off enquiry that local solicitor had used the same individual to ship his Porsche, which he then reported as stolen collecting Insurance monies. Convicted of Insurance Fraud in 2006.
ii) Veronica Wilkinson Solicitor offences discovered by Senior Partners of the Firm who reported same to Police in 2008. Stole monies /property from elderly client. Convicted 2009.
(k) Please advise how many police staff have qualifications in
forensic accounting, and what those qualifications are.
None.
(l) Please advise how many times private contractors have been
hired by the force for the purpose of forensic accounting work
during a fraud/white collar crime investigation.
2005: none
2006: 1 case
2007: none
2008: 2 cases
2009: 2 cases
2010: 1 case
2011: 1 case, but invoiced in 2012
(m) How many of these allegations have culminated in charges being
laid against the complainant as a vexatious litigant?
None.
(n) How many of these allegations have resulted in arrest warrants
being issued against the complainant?
None.
I thank you for your interest in Staffordshire Police and hope that you are satisfied with this answer. However, should you be dissatisfied with the outcome of your request, you do have the right of complaint under section 17(7) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. If you wish to appeal this decision, please inform me in writing at the below address. If you do appeal, your application and the decision will be reviewed by a Senior Decision Maker who was not involved in the original decision. Should this not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you would then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
If you require an internal review you should notify me in writing. I can be contacted by post:
Mr N Jones
Professional Standards
Staffordshire Police
PO Box 3167
Stafford
ST16 9JZ
By fax by way of the above number and by email:
@staffordshire.pnn.police.uk
Yours faithfully,
Nick Jones
(Freedom of Information Local Decision Maker)