Army officer who stole £365,000 from his own regiment that he spent on hair transplant, five cars and 'adult services' will have to repay just a fraction
A disgraced army officer who stole £365,000 from his own regiment to pay for a hair transplant, five cars and 'adult services' will have to repay just a fraction of the stolen funds.
After being jailed for three-and-a-half years in June after admitting six fraud charges, Staff Sergeant Andrew Oakes, 39, reappeared in court to face a hearing to determine how much of his fraudulent fortune could be recovered.
The disgraced serviceman indulged in three Tesla cars, a BMW Mini Cooper and a Nissan Qashqai, top-end Apple gadgets - and £16,500 on ‘adult services’.
He also spent thousands undergoing a hair transplant.
A proceeds of crime hearing at Teesside Crown Court, ruled that after years of siphoning off taxpayer money directly into his personal bank account, Oakes was to pay just £86,561, small fraction of the £365,447 he stole.
The crooked officer was jailed for crimes dating back to 2021, where he would initially write dozens of government cheques to himself.
Oakes of Winsford, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by false representation, abuse of position, a charge of concealing fraudulent transactions and acquiring criminal property.
He now has three months to make his repayment or risk a further five years behind bars.
After beginning his criminal exploits in 2021, he further disguised transactions by falsifying stubs using the names of genuine Army suppliers, including a regimental accountant and a tailoring firm.
Oakes exploited his 'prestigious' financial role at the 2nd Infantry Training Battalion after a thorough investigation revealed that he used 125 cheques between December 2023 and May 2024 to drain £336,448 from the MOD's accounts whilst in service.
Staff sergeant Andrew Oakes, 39, now has three months to make his repayment or risk a further five years behind bars
A thorough investigation revealed that he used 125 cheques between December 2023 and May 2024 to drain £336,448 from the MOD's accounts
Oakes fraudulently attempted to acquire a mortgage by faking a bank statement to claim he had £302,000 in savings, which he won from an 'Army lottery'.
He also submitted fake council and utility bills in order to attain £1,584 in mileage expenses pretending he had travelled between Cheshire and his regimental base in Catterick, North Yorkshire.
The officer used his authority also signed off his own compassionate and medical leave, pocketing pay he was not entitled to.
Judge Nathan Adams said: 'These were luxury spends by you on vehicles and other expenditure. It only stopped when you were caught.
He added: 'The impact of your offending is not simply the financial loss to the public purse but also the reputational damage caused to the organisation as a whole, to Catterick and your battalion.
'Those officers who supported you with your personal problems felt significantly betrayed when they found out what was really going on and it has had a significant impact on the morale of your battalion in Catterick.'
Oakes, of Winsford, Cheshire, had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, fraud by abuse of position, acquiring criminal property and disguising criminal property.
He is currently imprisoned at HMP Kirklevington, a Category D open prison in Stockton-on-Tees.
