A car salesman in Yorkshire has been found guilty of stealing more than £27,000 from customers at the luxury dealership where he worked.
Christopher Fogg, 28, committed a series of fraudulent transactions over a six-month period in 2013 while he was working at a Mercedes dealership in Leeds. Leeds Crown Court heard how Mr Fogg would regularly over charge customers, skimming off the excess money into his own pocket.
Criminal activity will not only lead to the likely short-term consequences of legal repercussions but it will also have lasting damaging effects on the individual’s chances of working in the motor trade industry. For example, people with a black mark on their criminal record will find it far more difficult to obtain a road risks insurance or motor trade insurance policy.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that Mr Fogg pleaded guilty to the charges, admitting that he diverted the extra funds to help pay off gambling debts he had amassed. He said he also needed the money to pay for child care.
Mr Fogg was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 18 hours of unpaid work. Jailing the former car salesman, Jonathan Sandiford said: “You were employed as a sales executive and people trusted you and did not check up on what you were doing.
“This occurred over a period of time so it wasn’t just a one-off. There was a degree of sophistication because you falsified paperwork on at least one occasion.”
