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Jail in DWP fraud case

by Mark Rowe

A north London man who received more than £25,000 of taxpayers money he was not entitled to has been jailed after a multi-agency prosecution. Doral Muntean, 28, of Montagu Crescent, Edmonton, was jailed for six months on the 25 October at Enfield Magistrates’ Court for what was described as actions which were ‘fraudulent from the outset’ and ‘multiple fraud’. The total combined fraudulent overpayment from both Enfield Council and the DWP was £25,137.41, Enfield ’s overpayment alone totalled £14,190.23.

The case was referred to Enfield Council by the DWP’s organised fraud team as part of a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police and Enfield Council. Muntean came under scrutiny as part of a crackdown on Romanian nationals using forged paperwork, he was then arrested and interviewed, where he failed to declare his true circumstances (he had a genuine Home Office document which had been revoked, which he then used to claim benefits with).

Cllr Andrew Stafford, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources said after the case: “Our joint work with the DWP continues to reap huge benefits. Muntean was a Romanian national who had legitimate paperwork, but when it was revoked he used the now defunct papers to claim benefits to which he was not entitled. Working with our colleagues in the DWP Organised Fraud Team in Birmingham, Muntean, and others from outside the borough, were brought to book, and now he has been jailed.

“In these times of recession, when every penny counts to the public purse, Enfield will not tolerate benefit fraud. I am pleased to see that yet again benefit crime has again been shown not to pay.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said after the case: “Taxpayers’ money should be going to those most in need and not to people cheating the system. People should know that if they are defrauding the Department they will be caught and will have to pay.”

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