FRAUD: UK Army Sergeant Jailed for Abusing Position and Ordering £487,919.00 Worth of Toner Cartridges.

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Date: Thursday January 30, 2025 04:19:46 pm
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    UK Army Sergeant Jailed for Abusing Position
    and Ordering £487,919.00 Worth of Toner Cartridges.

    A former Sergeant Quartermaster who fraudulently used his Ministry of Defence laptop to buy nearly £500,000 worth of printer cartridges for resale online has been sentenced to prison.

    Jed Charlot, 45, made the purchases through his personal eBay account to fund a lavish lifestyle and impress his mistress. His actions were driven by a “Walter Mitty-style” desire to create a second life of luxury.

    Charlot, originally from Mauritius, joined the Army in 2007 and rose to the rank of Sergeant Quartermaster with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers based in Tidworth. However, he exploited his position to make 677 orders for cartridges totaling £487,919.80 from a company called XMA Limited in Nottinghamshire, using his Ministry of Defence laptop. He then resold the cartridges online, earning £349,120.68 from customers in the UK and the United States.

    His fraud took place between December 2021 and October 2022, and he was arrested in 2023. Charlot pleaded guilty to fraud in October 2024, when he was living in Andover. He was sentenced to three years in prison at Salisbury Crown Court on Thursday, with the possibility of release after serving at least 14 months.

    Charlot’s scheme was discovered by an Army colleague who noticed the unusually high spending on printer hardware. When confronted, Charlot initially denied the fraud, claiming his account had been hacked. However, when police arrested him, they found a range of luxury items, including a Tag Heuer watch, a Garmin smartwatch, a Louis Vuitton handbag, and a Mont Blanc pen. Upon investigating his phone, officers found messages in which Charlot casually referred to the money he had made, stating, “In for a penny, in for £300k,” and also mentioning “frozen sperm” in case he faced imprisonment.

    In his defense, Mary Cowe highlighted Charlot’s past service, noting his dedication to public service and his commendations, including a medal for long service and work with the charity Help for Heroes. She described him as a man of good character who had cracked under pressure. She explained that he created a “Walter Mitty-style” alternate reality, feeling significant remorse for his actions.

    Charlot has three children, one of whom has had health issues since birth, and his family now faces financial hardship. They have had to leave Army housing and rely on Universal Credit, while his wife has secured new employment. Mrs. Cowe said Charlot feels genuine guilt over how his actions have affected his family and that he had hoped to improve their lives when he joined the Army.

    Judge Rufus Taylor, in his sentencing, noted that Charlot had spent the money on luxuries to maintain the facade of wealth he presented to his mistress. He acknowledged that Charlot had shown remorse and had let down not only his family but also the Army, which had held him in high esteem.

    Charlot will serve a minimum of 14 months in prison before being considered for release.

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