Chelmsford Man Jailed for Four Years Eight Months After £708,750 Gift Aid Fraud

Abdul Robbani, 54, of Chelmsford was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to revenue fraud and three counts of transferring criminal property, GB News reported. Robbani created a community amateur sports club called RMI Club and used it to submit 60 fraudulent Gift Aid applications to HMRC between March 2020 and May 2021.

He falsely listed 716 people as having each donated between £5,000 and £10,000, though none of the donations occurred.

HMRC paid out £708,750 before the fraud was detected. Tax investigators began their inquiry in 2021 and found that the named donors had been misled through a cryptocurrency mining venture promoted by Robbani. The proceeds were used to clear personal and family debts, including mortgages on multiple properties.

Authorities have seized £215,000 from one of Robbani's accounts and identified a further £485,750 in another; recovery of the remaining funds continues under Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings. Robbani has prior convictions for deception and forgery dating to the 1990s, according to HMRC.

Emma Beazley of the Crown Prosecution Service said Robbani cynically exploited the system for personal gain and went to elaborate lengths to cover his tracks by falsely listing hundreds of innocent people as donors.

Steve Doyle of HMRC's fraud investigation service said Robbani stole money meant for genuine charities and used it to pay off mortgages and debts.