Hotel fraudster to pay back just £1,000
A fraudster who cheated a succession of employers, including three Midlands hotels, out of more than £14,000 will have to pay back just £1,000.
James Leete, 28, was jailed for 21 months last November after he admitted eight offences of fraud and theft involving thousands of pounds.
On Friday, a proceeds of crime hearing at Gloucester crown court heard that Leete’s criminal benefit had been £14,387.98. However, financial investigators had only been able to find available assets of £1,067.52 that can be seized from him.
Judge Timothy Rose certified both figures and gave Leete 28 days to pay, with a further one day in jail as default for non-payment. The amount was to be split and paid as compensation to Leete’s victims, the judge ruled.
Leete’s crimes included cheating the DoubleTree by Hilton Cheltenham out of £9,200 by making ‘refunds’ to his own credit card while working as a receptionist there; stealing £3,447 from the Holiday Inn Birmingham – Bromsgrove while working as a front of house manager; and in September and October 2018 Leete worked at Billesley Manor in Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire and tried to defraud the hotel of £2,500.