A fraudster forged and altered documents to claim more than £110,000 than he spent when working on improving an Essex council’s housing stock. Oliver Schneider forced Southend City Council to return more than £360,000 in grants from a development company when it was discovered he had defrauded them of tens of thousands.
The case stems from Schneider’s involvement in the “Really Smart House Project”, a partnership between the council, South Essex Homes, and The Facility Architects, a company the 49-year-old co-directed. The project, partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aimed to retrofit housing stock with advanced environmental features on a not-for-profit basis.
Concerns arose in 2013 when inconsistencies were identified in invoices, bank statements, and pay slips submitted by The Facility Architects for reimbursement of project costs. An initial inquiry escalated into a full investigation led by the council’s Counter Fraud and Investigation Team in 2019.
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Investigators uncovered that Schneider had altered or forged documents, resulting in The Facility Architects claiming over £110,000 more than was legitimately spent. These actions forced the council to return over £360,000 in grant funds to the ERDF. Schneider’s sentence did not include any conditions, such as rehabilitation activity requirements, and the council has begun proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to recover its losses.
On December 19 last year, Schneider, of West Malling, Kent, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court where he was spared jail, being handed a two-year prison term suspended for 18 months. He previously admitted five counts of forgery in February 2024. A further 17 fraud offences will lie on file.
Paul Collins, Southend councillor responsible for finance, assets and investments, said: “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting public funds and holding those who commit fraud accountable. Thanks to the persistence of our Counter Fraud and Investigation Team, this deception has been uncovered, and steps are being taken to recover significant losses.
“The prosecution of this case suffered significant delays due to the pandemic and subsequent court backlogs, but we remained determined to see justice served. Fraud of this nature directly impacts our ability to deliver vital services. We will continue to take strong action to deter, detect, and prosecute fraud wherever it occurs.”