Builder jailed for £1m VAT fraud spent on Las Vegas spree

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 11:12 · Archive

Gary Briggs was jailed for nearly seven years after fraudulently claiming almost £1m in VAT repayments and spending it on gambling and luxury goods in Las Vegas.

Gary Briggs, a 52-year-old builder from Hartlepool, has been jailed for nearly seven years at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting to cheating public revenue and money laundering. Between May 2019 and February 2020, Briggs submitted 13 fraudulent VAT returns using two construction companies he had set up: Goldrose Construction Limited and Goldrose Demolition and Developments Limited. He fraudulently claimed approximately £1.25m in total VAT repayments and received about £980,000 before HMRC stopped further payments.

Briggs based his false claims on a mixture of fake invoices from real companies such as building material merchants and recruitment agencies, along with fake transactions between his two firms. When HMRC paused payments in January 2020, he contacted them asking about anticipated money and sent further fake invoices in an attempt to secure more funds.

With the money he obtained, Briggs spent thousands on gambling and shopping sprees in Las Vegas, including £5,000 at Caesar's Palace and £30,000 at Vegas Auto Gallery, a luxury car dealership. He also laundered approximately £70,000 through the bank accounts of three close relatives. Judge Gavin Doig said Briggs had been stealing from 'all of us in this country'. Briggs initially denied wrongdoing but changed his plea after his trial began.

How it is being reported

• Teesside businessman claimed almost £1m fake VAT returns and 'frittered' it away on Las Vegas tripsThe court heard Gary Briggs is currently employed as a building consultant for a Las Vegas-based company and earns $20,000 a monthTeessideLive · 5 Nov, 10:41
• £1m fraud builder enjoyed 'lavish' Las Vegas spreeA judge says fraudster Gary Briggs stole from every citizen of the UK with his VAT scam.BBC Tees · 3 Nov, 16:51

In this story: Gary Briggs · Newcastle Crown Court · HMRC · Hartlepool · Las Vegas · Goldrose Construction Limited · Goldrose Demolition and Developments Limited

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log