Bedford Borough Council has prosecuted a woman on seven counts of forgery and counterfeiting, spanning over a period of almost two years.
Filomena Rozana of Coventry Road, Bedford was sentenced to a total of three and a half years custody, which has been suspended for two years. Mrs Rozana was given six months imprisonment for each of the seven charges, which will run concurrently.
Alongside these charges, Mrs Rozana must serve 10 days of rehabilitation activity over 12 months and pay £515 to cover costs and a victim surcharge.
In May 2016, Bedford Borough Council had received a liability order from Luton Magistrates Court, which permitted them to recover a Council Tax debt of £1317.97 directly from Mrs Rozanas husband’s employer.
Over a two-year period, Mrs Rozana produced seven fake letters to her husband’s employer, claiming to be from Bedford Borough Council in order to avoid paying a Council Tax debt.
Once the offence had been identified and addressed with the employer, the Council Tax debt was repaid in full.
When interviewed by Council investigators, Mrs Rozana admitted to producing and sending the letters in an attempt to avoid paying the debt.
As a result, Mrs Rozana was summonsed to attend Luton Magistrates Court and plead guilty at the first hearing, subsequently being sentenced on Thursday, February 25.
Councillor Michael Headley, Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: “It is important that everyone plays their part in paying their fair share of Council Tax as it provides vital income that pays for essential local services and without it, we could not provide the same level of support to residents across Bedford Borough.
“I would encourage anyone who is concerned about fraud to report it to the Council so that it can be investigated through the appropriate channels. The Council takes Council Tax fraud very seriously and will investigate any suspected case of fraud and where it is proven the Council will take action against the person committing fraud.”
If you suspect that someone is committing Council Tax fraud, you can report it by completing the online form on Bedford Borough Council’s website: https://www.bedford.gov.uk/council-tax/pay-your-council-tax/fraud/
