Jed Charlot, a 45-year-old former British Army quartermaster, has been sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding the UK government of nearly half a million pounds. His fraudulent activities began when he was pressured by his girlfriend to prove he was wealthy, leading him to steal military supplies and sell them online.
Charlot, who served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and was responsible for managing supplies and equipment, placed over 600 orders for printers and toner using the Ministry of Defence’s procurement system. He then resold these items on eBay, pocketing £349,120 from the sales.
The scam was uncovered when an administrator at the Ministry of Defence noticed a shortage of printers and toner while preparing for an operation in Germany. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Charlot had placed excessive orders and had stolen a total of £487,919.80 worth of supplies.
Prosecutors revealed that Charlot used his official Ministry of Defence email to place the orders and sold the stolen items to companies in both the UK and the US. In an effort to avoid detection, he placed 676 orders over a span of about a year, ensuring that none of them exceeded the threshold that would trigger an alert.
During the investigation, police discovered luxury items such as Louis Vuitton handbags, Tag Heuer watches, and Mont Blanc pens at Charlot’s home. In messages to an undisclosed recipient, he even discussed the possibility of freezing his sperm in case he was jailed, further highlighting the extent of his actions.
Charlot, who joined the army in 2007 after previously working as a police officer, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud. His defense argued that the offense was out of character for someone with an otherwise exemplary record. However, the judge noted that Charlot had been living a “Walter Mitty-style” existence, trying to create a false image of wealth to satisfy his mistress’s demands for holidays and gifts.
Charlot, from Andover, Hampshire, left the army in June 2024. He was sentenced for using his position to exploit the UK government’s resources for personal gain.
