Gambling addict stole £100k to blow on holidays, golf and Leeds Utd
A former Solihull teacher stole £100,000 of tax repayments to spend on online gambling, a holiday to Las Vegas and Leeds Utd football matches.
Blaine Wakeman, 26, lied about purchases and financial losses from his two companies that provided children’s sports coaching to fraudulently claim VAT repayments.
The Leeds Utd supporter has now been handed a suspended 21-month prison sentence following an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Facebook pictures show Wakeman previously enjoying a luxury holiday to the gambling capital of the world – Las Vegas.
He posed for pictures outside Caesars Palace and during a trip to the Grand Canyon.
Wakeman, of Spiceland Road, Birmingham, also spent money on other holidays, Leeds United football matches and golf memberships.
He previously worked as a PE teacher at Grace Academy in Solihull.
But Wakeman had previously run two companies, Sports Plus Scheme Staffordshire and Inspire Sports Education Limited.
HMRC checks raised concerns over the tax returns of the firms and a criminal investigation was launched in June 2016.
Wakeman initially denied any wrongdoing and produced fake invoices and bank statements to support his lies.
But in October 2017 he admitted producing the false documents and fraudulently claiming VAT repayments between October 2013 and August 2016.
A probe discovered Wakeman had used the cash, totalling £100,000, to fund an online gambling habit.
Richard Young, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Wakeman knew what he was doing was wrong.
“He was abusing the tax system to fund a lifestyle he couldn’t legitimately afford.”
He added: “Tax fraud is not a victimless crime. It affects us all by depriving the public services of vital funding.
“I would ask anyone with information about tax fraud to report it online or contact our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”
Read more: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/gambling-addict-teacher-stole-100k-14760459