A former housing officer has been prosecuted with the help of Bedford Borough Council, after he pocketed almost £15,000 by illegally subletting his social housing property.
Emmanuel Damilola Olorunfemi, 31, who now lives at Pinner Hill Road, Pinner, appeared before Luton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 7 July where he pleaded guilty to two offences under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013.
The offence was made more serious by the fact that, for part of this period, Olorunfemi was working as a housing officer for a local authority in London, giving him direct knowledge of social housing rules and the implications of tenancy fraud.
Olorunfemi held the tenancy of a property in Hammonds Drive, Peterborough, under a Rent to Buy Scheme operated by housing association bpha, which allows tenants to rent a property at a below-market rent with the option to buy it in future. Under the terms of his tenancy agreement, he was required to use the property as his only home and was prohibited from sub-letting it or parting with possession.
But Bedford Borough Council's Fraud Investigation Service, working as part of its partnership with bpha, found that Olorunfemi had moved out of the property while continuing to hold the tenancy - and had sublet it to a family who paid rent of up to £980 a month through a private letting arrangement.
Bank records showed the rental income was paid into his personal bank account, while the rent owed to bpha fell into significant arrears.
Investigators calculated that Olorunfemi profited by £14,692 from the subletting, whilst also building up rent arrears of over £6,000.
In mitigation, the court heard that the offending occurred in the aftermath of the death of Olorunfemi's father. Following his father's death, he relocated to live with his mother in order to support her, both emotionally and financially, during this difficult period.
Nonetheless, magistrates told Olorunfemi; “The income received from the offending was subsequently invested in an ISA. This was not an offence where the proceeds were used to support a family and there was a substantial income made from the offence.”
Olorunfemi was sentenced to 18 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.
The court also imposed an Unlawful Profit Order requiring him to repay the full £14,692 gained from the offence, along with costs of £2,830 and a victim surcharge of £154, a total of £17,676.
A spokesperson for Bedford Borough Council said; “Social housing is intended for people who are most in need of secure, affordable accommodation. By moving out, and illegally subletting this property, Olorunfemi denied a family on the waiting list of a secure place they could call home.
“Olorunfemi was a housing officer, who had a clear and professional knowledge of the rules he chose to break and the impact it would have.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners, including bpha, to identify and pursue tenancy fraud wherever it occurs.”