Hotel manager jailed for £350,000 false invoice scam

Jailed: Eamonn Canavan
Laura Proto16 March 2016
WEST END FINAL

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A hotel manager who stole more than £350,000 from his workplace through a false invoice scam has been jailed.

Eamonn Canavan, 47, admitted fraud by abuse of position part way through his trial at Guildford Crown Court in January.

He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison at the same court on March 10 for the offences committed at a hotel in Charlwood, near Gatwick Airport.

Canavan, of the Bryn Howell Hotel and Restaurant in Llangollen, North Wales, created invoices from fictitious staffing agencies which purported to supply staff to the hotel, before he pocketed the money.

Over seven years, he set up bank accounts with names sounding similar to staff agencies the hotel had previously used and it was through the accounts he requested invoices.

He scammed the hotel out of enough money to buy a hotel of his own to run in Wales and loaned his former employers £170,000 to help during the economic crisis.

Bissi Johnson, of Kempshott Road, Streatham, was also involved in the scam and was given a two year suspended sentence.

Johnson, who worked at the hotel as a waitress, also pleaded guilty part way through the trial and admitted money laundering £10,000.

The scam came to light in 2012 when the hotel owners realised the invoices for agency staff did not match up with the hours they were owed for.

Investigating officer Kevin Booth, from Surrey Police, said: “Eamonn Canavan displayed a ruthless streak of greed which was eventually his downfall as his victims uncovered his devious plot.

“He forced himself into a position of trust at what was an established family business and took it to the brink of ruin as he syphoned off money through fake invoices.

“Staff did question his methods but he dismissed their queries using his superior position and iron fist rule to continue with his deceit.

“When he realised the game was up he resigned from his position and later bought himself a hotel of his own in Wales at a cost of more than £1m.”

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