Ex-Verwood Worker Jailed Over £437k Fraud
Emma Elizabeth Rhodes, 38, was slapped with a five-year prison sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court on November 2, 2020. The former employee of Norco Holdings Ltd swindled £437,000 from her Dorset-based employer.
Massive Theft Uncovered
Between December 2015 and May 2018, Rhodes – who also went by Emma Martin – fraudulently pocketed a staggering £437,431.68. The sums came to light during a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 proceeding aimed at clawing back her ill-gotten gains.
Forced Asset Sales to Fund Payback
On September 24, 2021, Bournemouth Crown Court ruled £120,122.75 was available for seizure under POCA. Rhodes has been given just three months to cough up this amount or risk an extra 12 months behind bars.
- Two shotguns and a £13,000 diamond engagement ring seized at arrest are set to be sold.
- Funds from her personalised number plates and her share of a house will also contribute.
Ongoing Crackdown on Crime Cash
The court will keep tabs on Rhodes’s finances for any new assets. Any further wealth found could be seized to cover the outstanding amount.
Detective Constable Scott Brimicombe, Dorset Police Financial Investigation Unit, said: “The defendant in this case obtained large amounts of money over a period of several years. We will always do all we can, using the legislation available to us, to ensure that we can recover all possible funds from offenders who have benefitted financially from their criminal activities so that victims who have lost out are compensated.”
