PAWN TO JAIL

£750k tax fraud chess player spent thousands on pottery, gold coins and jewellery

- ALAN MCEWEN

AN international chess player who blew cash from a £750,000 fraud on gold coins and jewellery has been given a 10-year jail term. 

Crooked tax agent Robin Moss was arrested at his home in Dumfries over the massive tax and mortgage con.

The 58-year-old splashed hundreds of thousands of pounds from the proceeds of his crimes on luxur y items, including more than £115,000 on collectible Moorcroft pottery, £89,251 on gold coins and £18,930 on jewellery.

He lied about his income, made bogus claims in names of unsuspecting clients and provided false documents in f raudul ent mor t ga ge applications.

Moss was convicted in his absence of tax fraud, money laundering, mortgage fraud and theft following a joint investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Leicestershire Police.

He persuaded one client to pay their £53,000 tax bill through him then paid it straight into his bank account rather than to HMRC.