Council to seek £165k at proceeds of crime hearing after defendant pleads guilty to unlawful subletting

Dudley Council said Audric Kanyinda had falsified documentation to get a council house that he rented out for more than four years.

It told Wolverhampton Crown Court that the 32-year-old owned six other properties and was making £7,000 per month in rental income.

Kanyinda, of Erith in south-east London, pleaded guilty to obtaining a social housing tenancy by fraud, unlawful subletting of a secure tenancy and of making a fraudulent application to purchase the property via a Right to Buy.

He was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, and also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

The council said it would pursue Kanyinda for £165,500 via a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

Cllr Ian Bevan, Dudley Council’s cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: “This is a shocking case of duplicitous behaviour that left hard working taxpayers out of pocket, and I am glad to see justice being served in court.

“We remain committed to recovering the public funds lost, and our focus remains on helping families and individuals who need our support the most.

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“Dudley Council has a zero-tolerance approach towards fraud and I hope the outcome of this case this will act as a reminder to any would be fraudsters to think twice as we will not hesitate to act.”

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