SOUTHEND, UK — A Southend woman who stole more than £217,000 from the charity she worked for has been sentenced to three years in prison, thanks to a detailed investigation by specialist fraud detectives.
Isabella George, 39, of Wansfell Gardens, used her position as office manager to carry out a long-running scheme of fraud and theft against the organisation between December 2017 and August 2023.
Detectives from the Economic Crime Team uncovered around 200 suspicious withdrawals totalling nearly £41,000. Further investigation revealed she had fraudulently signed 96 cheques, stealing over £171,000, and had also made unauthorised purchases of over £9,000 using the charity’s credit card.
In total, George was found to have stolen £216,973.
To cover her tracks, George falsified company accounts, assigning fraudulent transactions to legitimate projects in an effort to avoid detection. The stolen funds were spent on personal items, including dental procedures.
She pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, false accounting, and fraud by abuse of position at Basildon Crown Court on 28 March. She was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 26 June.
Detective Constable Lee Pudney said:
“This was a meticulous investigation that examined hundreds of transactions.
Isabella George abused her position to steal a huge amount of money. She falsified records to hide her crimes, but our work ensured she had no choice but to confess. She is now rightly behind bars.”
The Economic Crime Team commended the thorough efforts of all involved in bringing George to justice.
