An Eat Out To Help Out fraudster has been jailed for two and a half years for attempting to fleece the taxpayer out of £434,000 by submitting fictitious and fraudulent claims during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Mohammed Ikram, a former town councillor, was locked up at Bradford Crown Court today in the first conviction of Covid scheme fraud by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The 36-year-old was also previously a member of Keighley Town Council until his resignation in 2022, according to HMRC.

Ikram, of Winterburn Street, Keighley, pleaded guilty to 20 offences of cheating the Public Revenue by submitting false online Eat Out To Help Out claims between August 8, 2020, and September 6, 2020.

The court heard that during a four-week period he put forward 19 fraudulent claims totalling just over £434,073 relating to eight different food outlets, most entirely fictitious.

Eight of his claims, totalling £189,208, were paid out, the remaining 11 were rejected.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

The Revenue froze bank accounts and seized back £96,000, leaving £92,862 outstanding.

The court heard that the Eat Out To Help Out scheme was launched during the Covid pandemic to help the hospitality industry as people were beginning to go out and about again.

Ikram had been associated with a café in Keighley but wasn’t any more by then, the court was told.

His barrister, Nick Worsley, said in mitigation that it was accepted they were serious offences over a four-week period.

It was unsophisticated criminality in which Ikram used his own details and was always going to be detected.

He had previously worked in a café in Keighley and was part of a group providing help and support to struggling families in the pandemic.

He had run up debts of £35,000 from running a care home in Manchester and saw this as a way out of his difficulties, Mr Worsley said.

He was a man of previous good character who had contributed to the community in a positive way. He was very remorseful and had been caring for his ill parents.

Ikram had now spent two months on remand in custody and the punitive impact of that had taken effect upon him.

The court could be confident that he would not appear before a court again and would make every effort to repay the outstanding money, Mr Worsley said.

He had lost his good character and his standing in the community.

Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson said Ikram made 19 false claims, totalling £434,000, relating to eight different food outlets, six of which were fictitious or he had no connection with at all. The claims were fraudulent from the outset and motivated by greed.

He had cast suspicion on his wife by putting the money into her bank accounts.

He was arrested in June 2021 and made no comment when questioned by the police.

References spoke of Ikram’s positive contribution to society and the impact his offending had had on his family.

Judge Clayson set out a timetable for a confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The Crown has offered no evidence against Ikram’s wife, Ghazala Ikram, who was charged with a criminal property offence.

After the case, Simon York, Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “This was a blatant fraud by somebody who held a position of trust and responsibility.

“These schemes were designed to support individuals and businesses during a terribly difficult period.

“Instead, Mohammed Ikram stole money which should have been paying for vital public services and helping those who needed it most.

“This is the first conviction of Covid scheme fraud by HMRC but we have arrested 70 people and have a number of cases working their way through the criminal justice system.

“So far, we have prevented the payment of, or recovered more than £1.2 billion, with compliance activity still ongoing.”