The five Bulgarians charged with embezzling over 50 million GBP in benefits in the UK expected to be sentenced

A UK court is deciding what sentences the five Bulgarians behind the biggest ever benefit fraud in UK history will receive. The final stage of the case against the group that embezzled nearly 54 million pounds from the British treasury. began today, May 28, in London. They are Galina Nikolova, Gyunesh Ali, Stoyan Stoyanov, Tsvetka Todorova and Patritsia Peneva. The Bulgarian group operated on the Island between October 2016 and May 2021. They seemingly assisted people in need to apply for benefits.

The truth was different - the five were embezzling the money for themselves. A month ago, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service announced it was launching a case against some of the biggest fraudsters in the country. The five pleaded guilty, and their sentences were expected to be announced today. However, as the hearing progressed, it became clear that new evidence was to be presented and more witnesses were to be heard. Thus, the final verdicts will be known tomorrow or Thursday at the earliest.

Bulgarian nationals, Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26, made thousands of fraudulent claims for Universal Credit over a nearly five years period . The group siphoned off £53.9 million from the UK's main welfare benefit in the UK. Families with one child receive at least £244, those with two or three children up to £2,800. The fund also provides an amount equal to 65% of the rent of a dwelling.

Between 2016 and 2021, the five Bulgarians applied on behalf of real or fictitious persons for the benefits. They forged documents, provided fake bank certificates, employment and rental contracts and even false birth certificates for children. There were also several companies that assisted in obtaining the National Insurance number required for residency in the UK. Once they got hold of people's personal details, they started to drain the welfare system on their behalf. In five years they made over 6,000 false benefit claims. They laundered the money through transactions in multiple bank accounts or withdrew it in cash.

Three years ago, after a joint investigation by British authorities and their counterparts in Europe, the five were arrested. They were later released and the gang's ringleader, Gyunesh Ali, went into hiding in Bulgaria. Ali, also known as "Ventsy Deluxe", has two businesses and a cafe in Plovdiv. His brother and cousin work in the cafe - they refused to stand in front of the BNT cameras today, but confirmed they were "workers" in the cafe. The 33-year-old man was extradited to Britain in February last year.

Multi-million-pound scam: Five Bulgarians convicted in UK’s largest-ever benefits fraud

Gyunesh Ali was brought to court today, May 28, with a police guard. The other four defendants - Stoyan Stoyanov, Galina Nikolova, Tsvetka Todorova and Patritsia Peneva - are under house arrest and also appeared in court in person. A month ago, the Bulgarians pleaded guilty to fraud. During searches of their homes, suitcases full of money were found and luxury cars were seized. An infamous video was circulated showing one of the detainees throwing 20-pound notes on the floor while a woman collects them. The British authorities are determined to return to the Treasury as much of the amount embezzled by the Bulgarians as possible.

UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, said “It is only right and fair that we bring to justice those stealing from the public purse. My message is simple – if you are committing benefit fraud, you are cheating the taxpayer, and we will catch you.”

The case against Ali, Nikolova, Stoyanov, Todorova and Peneva is being heard at Wood Green Crown Court - in north London. The sentences were expected as early as today, but during the course of the hearing it became clear that more witnesses were to be heard and more evidence was to be given. Under British law, the penalty for financial fraud can be up to 14 years imprisonment. The maximum sentence was increased two years ago and is provided for precisely this type of offence, which involves sums of money obtained by criminal means in particularly large amounts.