Benjamin Cullen, the disgraced former IT director from Herne Bay, has been ordered to repay £163,934 within three months or face an additional 20 months in jail.
In July 2022, Cullen was sentenced to four years and nine months after admitting to fraud by abusing his position. The 45-year-old stole over £240,000 by using company funds to purchase home electrical items, clothing, and jewellery.
The theft went undetected until an internal investigation revealed multiple fake invoices and misuse of a company credit card between 2018 and 2020.
Following his prison sentence, Kent Police sought a confiscation order through Canterbury Crown Court to recover Cullen’s criminal proceeds. Investigators determined he gained approximately £243,300 but only had assets valued at £163,934, including property equity, available for recovery.
Detective Inspector Dave Godfrey of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate stated, “Cullen’s actions amounted to the gross abuse of a trusted position and caused serious long-term harm to his company. This confiscation order shows that fraudsters will be brought to justice and stripped of their criminal gains to compensate victims.”
Cullen now faces a stark choice: repay the amount owed or serve additional time behind bars.
Originally published by UKNIP.
