Stan Reiz KC and Alastair Smith secure suspended sentence for company director following guilty plea to £93 million fraud on Royal Mail

Stan Reiz KC and Alastair Smith, instructed by Sara Longden of Mary Monson Solicitors, represented M in criminal proceedings brought by the Royal Mail Group. M started as an employee of a mail consolidation company which provided services to businesses by taking advantage of discounted rates offered by Royal Mail to high volume customers. Over a period of nearly 10 years, the company systematically underdeclared the cost of postal services provided by Royal Mail on its Online Business Account by dishonestly altering the type and destination of international post. M played a significant role in the development of the fraud and in the formation of associated companies. He was a director of one such company and recruited others to advance the fraud. The prosecution case was that the loss to Royal Mail was at least £93 million. M pleaded guilty before trial and ultimately became a prosecution witness which led to the guilty pleas of other defendants and companies. On the 8^th February 2024, M was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years with no requirements.