Man jailed for NHS fraud


29 May 2012

A man who used a forged passport to obtain a job with the NHS in Worcester has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Hereford Crown Court.


Ifeanyi Chuks Iheama, aged 38, arrived in the UK on a student visa but was refused an extension because he had submitted false documents.


But before he could be removed from the country, he went on the run.


However, after intelligence was received about Iheama's whereabouts, he was arrested by the UK Border Agency on 6 April 2011 at Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust where he worked.


After Iheama was arrested, investigators found that he had obtained a false stamp in his Nigerian passport which showed that he had the right to work in the UK.


Iheama had used this forged passport to obtain employment with the trust's finance department in Worcester where he had worked from August 2009 until the day of his arrest.


Iheama was charged with two counts of possession of false identity documents and one count of fraud.
On 19 April 2012, after a trial at Worcester Crown Court, he was found guilty.


At Hereford Crown Court, he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for each of the three counts to run concurrently.
The UK Border Agency will seek to deport Iheama after he has served his sentence.

Neil Cross, from the UK Border Agency's Criminal and Financial Investigation team, said: "We are cracking down on immigration crime, detaining, prosecuting and removing people and gangs who have been abusing the immigration system. While this scam involved document fraud, we are also tackling sham marriages, illegal working and people smuggling."


Julia Dillon, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust's local counter fraud specialist, added: "Iheama's fraud was detected as a result of the national fraud initiative in collaboration with UK Border Agency colleagues.

Our trust has always given NFI a priority as we realise it is our duty to protect public money. The majority of NHS staff are extremely dedicated and honest but the Trust will not shy away from its responsibility to investigate fraud when suspicion is reported."

Anyone with possible information about immigration crime should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.