03/06/2013

'Most Wanted' Tax Fraudster Jailed

A computer company director described by HM Revenue & Customs as "a tax fraudster in a Most Wanted list" after he absconded to the USA has been jailed.

53-year-old Jonathan Nugent was charged with a £5.5m VAT fraud in 1998.

After being released on bail, he absconded to the USA in 2000 before his trial began.

Last year HMRC named Mr Nugent as one of its "most wanted fraudsters", linking him to a £22m tax fraud.

He was eventually tracked down by the HMRC Fugitive Unit with the help of the US authorities.

He was deported to the Republic of Ireland on immigration offences and then extradited to the UK on a European Arrest Warrant to face trial.

Mr Nugent's arrested initially came about when investigators found he had used his company to help others smuggle goods into the UK, evade UK duty and use false paperwork to reclaim millions of pounds in VAT repayments.

Mike O’Grady, HMRC Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation, said: "Today’s sentence demonstrates that we do not forget or give up on tax fraud cases, whatever the time lapse from offence to capture.

"We strongly suspect that Nugent left the UK on an Irish passport, which he’d originally obtained as soon as his co-conspirators were arrested, and flew with his family to the USA via Eire. Once we had located him, the American authorities were able to use visa violations to deport him quickly so that we could enforce the arrest warrant."

Nugent was a director of Clear Technology Limited, based on Lovely Lane, Warrington, Cheshire.

He pleaded guilty today at Manchester Crown Court and was sentenced to 4 years 6 months in jail.

(IT)

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