Internet Bingo Addict Steals £1.5m

Graham Taylor of Castleton, Greater Manchester lost all self-control when he turned to his place of employment for an addiction to internet Bingo. The 66 year old man was a financial director at Nema Ltd and took full advantage of his position by stealing £1.5m.

Taylor worked for the firm located in Rochdale for 12 years for a company that was earning over £3m a year in revenue. The company began to take a loss and not suspecting foul play bosses blamed it on a declining economy.

At the suggestion of Taylor three employees lost their jobs to defray expenses. The financial problems continued and a firm of accountants was brought in to go over numbers in November of 2010. Taylor feeling the pressure made a full confession was arrested according to authorities.

Det Con Deborah Jameson said: "Such was the scale of the financial disaster unleashed on this unsuspecting company by Taylor that they had to lay staff off.

"Losing your job under any circumstance can be traumatic, but to know it was the deliberate actions of a desperate gambler must make it so much worse."

After three employees lost their jobs and the £1.5 was blown on bingo games the company will now be in a position to regain profits and rebuild what was lost.

In Bolton Crown Court Taylor pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and two for fraud by abuse of his position at the company over a four year period. The former employees were given the day off with pay to go to court and see him sentenced to a five year jail term.