Fraudster fugitive tracked right down to Czech Republic after iPhone electronic mail signature blunder | EUROtoday

A tax fraudster who spent over two years evading justice has been extradited again to the UK after being caught on account of his electronic mail signature, receiving a further six months on his current seven-year jail sentence. Craig Rees, 52, fled the nation to keep away from cross-examination in a case involving a “staggering and audaciously dishonest” film-related tax fraud.

Rees, previously of Shakespeare Avenue, Warwick, was apprehended within the Czech Republic in March, regardless of having claimed to be in Ukraine.

His location was pinpointed after he despatched an electronic mail claiming he lacked telephone entry, just for the message to hold a default signature indicating it was despatched from his iPhone, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) mentioned.

An extradition order was authorised by a Czech regional court docket on 27 March, resulting in Rees’s return to the UK on 9 April. He subsequently admitted a bail offence, ensuing within the consecutive six-month time period. He had beforehand been sentenced in his absence to seven years in 2024 for his function within the try to steal £1 million.

His trial was advised the costs associated to inflated or utterly made-up claims to HMRC for tax aid for the manufacturing prices of three separate movies.

An HMRC spokesman mentioned Rees was sentenced on Wednesday, with the decide saying it was no coincidence the fraudster had intentionally departed to stop cross-examination of proof he had given and keep away from “facing the gaping holes” in his account.

The court docket heard there had been intensive efforts from HMRC’s fugitive unit to find, arrest and return Rees, together with work throughout a number of European jurisdictions.

The decide mentioned Rees had despatched a lot of messages promising to return however had solely been introduced again to the UK on account of “significant time, resource and expense” on the a part of the related authorities.

Ben Close KC, prosecuting, advised the court docket Rees had did not attend day 51 of his trial in January 2024 and had emailed to say he had travelled to Ukraine, HMRC mentioned.

The HMRC spokesman mentioned officers had additionally arrested a 36-year-old man in Manchester on Thursday on suspicion of aiding an offender in reference to the inquiry.

The man has been questioned and launched underneath investigation, the spokesman mentioned.

Rees and his 54-year-old brother Carl Rees, who was additionally jailed for seven years in 2024, had been each convicted at trial of two counts of conspiracy to cheat the general public income.

Jurors had been advised the brothers submitted fraudulent Film Tax Relief and VAT claims.

To qualify for Film Tax Relief on the time they made their claims between 2011 and 2015, at the very least 25% of manufacturing prices needed to relate to exercise within the UK.

An HMRC investigation discovered their claims had been fraudulently inflated for the primary movie, which was moved to the United States.

The second movie was completely made up, and the third film was produced within the US purely to submit additional fraudulent claims, HMRC mentioned.