Charity IT contractor stole £550,000 from accounts of vulnerable people

A former IT contractor who stole more than £500,000 from 95 accounts belonging to vulnerable people in east London has been jailed for five years.

Graham Broomfield, 54, was employed as a charity’s direct payments worker which allowed him access to funds meant for disabled or at risk clients to live on.

Over a period of several years, Broomfield abused his position to fraudulently obtain £550,744 from the accounts of “at least” 95 vulnerable clients, the Metropolitan Police said.

Broomfield, of Tye Green Village, Harlow, Essex, was jailed at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, September 20 after previously admitting fraud by abuse of position.

Detective Sergeant Gemma Cole, from specialist crime command, said: “Broomfield’s crimes were particularly contemptible as he held a position within a charity.

“He used his role to gain the trust of some of London’s most vulnerable members of the community.”

The investigation, which was led by the North East Economic Crime Hub, was able to trace the money to a bank where Broomfield held his personal account.

He had initially worked as an IT contractor for the charity, which has not been named, before being taken on as a direct payments worker.

He was arrested on April 11 last year and charged by postal requisition on Wednesday June 19.

Ms Cole said officers are continuing to work on a Proceeds of Crime Act investigation in an attempt to retrieve Broomfield’s “ill-gained assets”.