Coldstream property manager jailed for fraud ordered to hand back more than £200,000 of ill-gotten gains
A property manager from the Borders who embarked on a luxury lifestyle after embezzling funds from an Edinburgh firm has been ordered to pay back more than £200,000.
Emma Hunt was jailed for three years in August last year after a jury found her guilty of fraud and embezzlement.
The 38-year-old, from Coldstream, is estimated to have racked up £925,000 in ill-gotten gains, and has now been ordered to hand back £211,574,67, after being made the subject of a confiscation order at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
The figure - less than a quarter of what she stole - is based on an amount which the court deems recoverable.
But the Crown has the power to extend the order to seize more money and assets Hunt may acquire in the future to pay back the full amount she made from her crimes.
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During her trial, the court heard Hunt spent thousands on parties, hospitality at sporting events, hotel stays, a five-star Caribbean holiday, cars, and designer goods after stealing money from McLean Properties and fraudulently obtaining money from some of its clients.
She carried out her scheme by transferring rental payments from tenants into her own bank accounts and obtained deposits from tenants which were not required.
She also regularly created false invoices totalling large sums for “supplies” and “business expenses” which were again paid into her personal accounts.
The court’s assessment of the “available amount” acknowledges that Hunt made tainted gifts valued at £199,733.31 to a family member.
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Hunt’s illicit scheme was discovered after concerns emerged over company accounting activity.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for serious casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “This confiscation underscores the fact that prosecution of those involved in financial crime does not stop at criminal conviction and sentencing.
“Even after that conviction was secured, the Crown pursued Proceeds of Crime action to ensure the funds Emma Hunt obtained illegally were confiscated.
“Confiscation orders have ongoing financial consequences, meaning we can seek to recover further assets from this individual in the future to ensure she pays back the full amount.”
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