Employees sentenced for roles in £430,000 scam attempt at Camden housing association

James McMasters, Adeshola Dada, Ansar Ali (L-R) (Image: Archant)

Danielle Gillian Brown, 25, of Church Lane, Crouch End, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for one year yesterday after being found guilty of acquiring criminal property after funds diverted from Genesis Housing Association, based in Pratt Street, landed in her bank account in 2011.

Southwark Crown Court heard how an employee in the IT department, Adeshola Dada, 49, had abused his position to change the passwords of two of his colleagues.

He then diverted payments destined for genuine suppliers into the account of a company called Factwise Limited, run by his accomplice Ansar Ali, 43, Ansar Ali.

The alarm was raised in late June 2011, just before £290,000 was due to leave the housing association’s accounts on July 1. But £138,000 had already been transferred to Factwise and by the time the fraud was discovered some of the cash had gone missing.

Ali’s company had subsequently transferred sums of around £10,000 into the accounts of Brown and another man, James McMasters, 24 of Northolt, Middlesex.

Detective Constable Kris Mason of Westminster Crime Squad, said it had been a “complex and prolonged” investigation.

He said: “Adeshola Dada abused his position of trust for the sole purpose of financial gain.

“I am glad that all four people involved [have] been dealt with and convicted through the courts.”

Dada, of Essex, was jailed for five years’ after being convicted of two counts of fraud following a trial on August 19.

McMasters was sentenced to one year imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after also being found guilty of acquiring criminal property

Ali, of Limehouse Causeway, who had pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property at an earlier hearing was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.