A Chafford Hundred fraudster who stole nearly £90,000 from residents’ council tax accounts has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Kevin Brown, 35, worked as a council tax officer at Dartford and Sevenoaks Council between July 2013 and 2016.

The money launderer’s trail of theft was first spotted by an Audit Investigator at Hackney who alerted the Met’s online fraud squad, FALCON.

Brown, of Hawkins Drive, worked by getting access to residents’ council tax accounts that were in credit.

He then sent fake emails and phone calls in their names requesting the credit to be paid to a third party.

Brown then authorised the payments, and the stolen money was paid into numerous third party bank accounts.

When the offending was first noticed in June 2015 in Hackney, Brown resigned.

But FALCON worked with Kent Police and Leicester City Council to arrest and charge him on Friday June 3.

It was disclosed in court that Brown had two previous convictions for fraud by abuse of position of a similar nature, including conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Despite his previous criminal convictions, Brown had also found work via employment agencies for Leicester, Greenwich and Hackney local authorities where he committed similar offences.

Brown was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday August 30.

Detective Constable Paul Allgood of FALCON, said Brown had caused relatives of the deceased “extra stress at a very difficult time.”

He said: "Our investigation showed that in many cases the stolen money had come from council tax accounts where the resident had died.

“Payments that should have made to bereaved families were instead diverted into accounts controlled by Brown.

“Families dealing with their loves ones’ financial matters applied for refunds and were told the money had already been paid out.

“Brown’s actions caused relatives of the deceased extra stress at a very difficult time and I am pleased that justice has now been served."