Council stuck with legal delay

An Acton man who created five aliases to fraudulently claim more than £174,000 in benefits has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Brahim Lounnas appeared before Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, 16 January 2012.

Lounnas was brought before the courts after a lengthy investigation led by Ealing Council which uncovered one of the worst cases in the borough's history.

Over six years Lounnas used five false identities to make fraudulent housing and council tax benefit claims for addresses both in Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham. He used dozens of bogus documents, including bank cards and statements, payslips, tenancy agreements and national insurance numbers to support the false claims.

Councillor Yvonne Johnson, cabinet member for finance and performance, said: “This is one of the worst cases of its kind. This was a very slick fraud on a massive scale so I’m pleased the judge agreed he should be jailed. I hope other would-be fraudsters will get the message that we will catch them and bring them to justice.”

Lounnas, who has been remanded in custody since he was charged in February 2011, pleaded guilty to 13 benefit fraud offences. He was sentenced to serve three years in prison for each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. The time served on remand will be deducted.

Not long before he's out, then.

The council is also seeking a confiscation order to recover the stolen money and a hearing is expected to take place in July.

The presumption should be in favour of a confiscation order being made at the criminal trial.