Bosses face £6m fraud tax charges

Construction industry bosses from the West Midlands and Staffordshire have appeared in court charged in connection with an alleged £6 million tax fraud.

A total of 13 men and women from the region are accused of being involved in the fraud.

A total of 16 people were originally arrested in September 2009 after a series of dawn raids by HM Revenue and Customs officers investigating the alleged fraud believed to be operating across the West Midlands, Staffordshire, London and Manchester.

All appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday.

Of those arrested, 10 are from the West Midlands, including Stourbridge, Brierley Hill, Walsall and Tividale and three are from Staffordshire.

Another two come from Worcestershire and one of those charged is from Sheffield.

The charges include conspiracy to cheat the revenue of VAT, income tax, National Insurance contributions and corporation tax and money laundering offences.

Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for HM Revenue and Customs, Adrian Farley, said today: "Sixteen people have been charged linked to what we believe is a fraud resulting in over £6 million being stolen from public funds.

"We are committed to bringing such cases to the courts."

The raids in September 2009 included addresses in Kingswinford, Aldridge, Halesowen and Stafford.

Custom officials said today that investigations are still continuing in relation to a number of other people arrested.

All of those who appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court for yesterday's hearing were bailed until September 5 when they must appear at Birmingham Crown Court.

The accused and charges

Bernard Harper, aged 55, of Causey Farm Road, Halesowen, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Craig Hill, 47, of Raby Close, Tividale, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs andconspiracy to launder money.

Stuart Barrett, 54, of Hillbank, Tividale, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Steven Barrett, 31, of Woodside Way, Walsall, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money, under the proceeds of crime act 2000 .

Steven Bache, 49, of Cornerstone, Leys Close, Stourbridge, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Anthony Smith, 33, of Mill Street, Brierley Hill, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Kelly Nicholls, 33, also of Mill Street, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and tconspiracy to launder money.

Ian Siviter, 35, of Regent Road, Tividale,on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Susan Coussens, 52, of Chestnut Close, Norton, Stourbridge, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Richard Ruddick, 42, of no fixed address, on charges of conspiracy to contravene the finance act 2000 and conspiracy to contravene the VAT act 1994

Gary Lowndes, 50, and Helga Lowndes, 45, both of Weeping Cross, Stafford, on charges of conspiracy to contravene the finance act 2000 and conspiracy to contravene the VAT act 1994

Simon Davies, 43, of Loxley Close, Churchill, Redditch, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

Neil Hughes, 45, of Blackwell, Bromsgrove, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

John Caulfield, 39, of Barton Lodge Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, on charges of conspiracy to cheat HM Revenue and Customs and conspiracy to launder money.

John Beatty, 43, of Crookes, Sheffield on conspiracy to contravene the finance act 2000 and conspiracy to contravene the VAT act 1994