VAT Fraudster Captured After Ordering Meal to Hideout

Robert Kemp, a tax fugitive who had evaded authorities for almost three years, was apprehended after placing an order for a takeaway meal delivered to his concealed location. Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) arrested the 56-year-old VAT fraudster, originally from Swindon, at a bedsit in Wales following his order of an £18 doner kebab. Information derived from this order guided officers to his whereabouts in Rhyl. On 26 November, Kemp received a sentence of two years and two months for VAT fraud at Swindon Crown Court. Additionally, he was given a two-month sentence for absconding and a 12-month sentence for a separate affray offense. Kemp had been at large since June 2021, subsequent to admitting VAT fraud but not appearing for subsequent court proceedings. A bench warrant had been issued for his apprehension. During court proceedings, it was revealed that Mr Kemp, alongside his son Marcus, served as a director for a company purporting to provide windows for new build residences in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Between May and November 2015, they presented numerous false invoices and unlawfully reclaimed £251,499. His son received a two-year and two-month prison sentence in September 2021. Matthew Moignar, HMRC’s operational lead, stated: “This case shows that we don’t forget and we don’t give up. “We can and do use a range of tools to track down fugitives and bring them back before the courts to face justice.“Tax fraud is not a victimless crime. The tax we all pay helps to fund the public services we rely on. “The majority pay the tax that is due, but a determined minority who refuse to play by the rules.”