Rhonnan Mundy

Pair set up businesses to falsely claim VAT repayments

Two fraudsters have been jailed for attempting to steal £700,000 of taxpayers’ money by falsely claiming VAT repayments.

Rhonnan Mundy, from Deal, and Keith Chamberlain, from Dover, were jailed for two years and eight months. Mundy, 49, and Chamberlain, 42, were caught following an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) where they were found to have submitted false VAT repayment claims by setting up companies and providing fake documentation to support their claims. They falsely claimed £707,595.

From January 2008-July 2010, the pair registered a number of companies to falsely reclaim VAT on zero rated services. The pair also hijacked a legitimate VAT registration and used the identities of at least four people without consent to set up further businesses in order to submit false reclaims.

Assistant director HMRC criminal investigation John Cooper said: “The motivation of Chamberlain and Mundy was pure greed. They selfishly attempted to steal over £700,000 of taxpayers’ money which is needed to fund vital public services. These sentences will act as a deterrent to those who are tempted to become involved in this type of criminal activity.”