28/07/2014

Man Admits £300,000 Help For Heroes Charity Collection Fraud

A man from Devon has admitted stealing £300,000 from the Help for Heroes charity.

Christopher Copeland, 51, used teams of volunteers to take part in bogus charity collections.

He told the volunteers he was collecting the money for Help for Heroes, however he was actually putting the money collected into his own bank account.

Devon and Cornwall Police were given a tip-off by one of the volunteers and it was discovered he has paid almost nothing to the charity.

Judge Phillip Wassall at Exeter Crown Court said Copeland faced a lengthy prison sentence.

Copeland has been remanded on bail and will be sentenced on 15 September.

(CD/JP)

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