A man from Chippenham has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after being convicted of multiple fraud-related offences. Oliver Cooper, 33, previously of Assart Way, was sentenced today at Swindon Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges earlier this year.
In May 2022, Cooper separated from his partner, but two months later, he forged digital signatures on documents to alter the equity in the property he and his ex-partner jointly owned. This fraudulent act resulted in a financial loss of approximately £71,000 to the victim.
Cooper was arrested soon after the crime was reported to Wiltshire Police in 2022. The investigation quickly revealed his fraudulent activities, and charges were swiftly approved by the Crown Prosecution Service. However, Cooper continued to manipulate and delay the legal processes in both criminal and civil courts for over two years.
He was sentenced to two years and nine months for these offences. Acting Detective Sergeant Martyn Powell from the South Volume Crime Team commented: “Financial abuse is a form of domestic violence and is used to help the perpetrators control and manipulate the victim, leaving them unable to move on, to escape the abuse, or at risk of other types of control. The police are fully equipped to investigate and identify methods of financial abuse, and I hope that the sentence today gives the courage to urge all victims of domestic violence, no matter the form it comes in, to come forward and seek support from us.”
In addition to his financial abuse crimes, Cooper was also investigated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for fraudulent VAT claims made on behalf of his cleaning business between July 2019 and March 2022. Cooper admitted to committing a £200,000 VAT fraud, along with a money laundering offence, at Swindon Crown Court on May 31, 2024. He also pleaded guilty to forgery offences involving the creation of false documents and attempted access to frozen bank accounts.
Cooper was sentenced to a further two years and nine months for these offences, bringing his total prison sentence to five-and-a-half years.
Matt Moignard, Operational Lead in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, stated: “The vast majority pay the tax that’s due, but fraudsters like Cooper think they can lie, cheat, and steal. We’re determined to create a level playing field for all, and this shows how we work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring tax fraudsters to justice. Such crimes have real consequences for the public services we all rely on, and we encourage anyone with information about any type of tax fraud or money laundering to report it online.”
