Posted on Thursday 14 April 2022
A town councillor who defrauded the NHS and a trade union of more than £80,000 has been jailed.
Tanya Tucker was convicted of seven counts of fraud today, following a trial at Durham Crown Court.
The court heard how the 58-year-old, of Walker Drive, Bishop Auckland, defrauded both organisations over a four-year period whilst in positions of trust.
An investigation uncovered that Tucker, as Unison’s Durham branch secretary and treasurer, had claimed identical expenses from both organisations and often forged signatures of colleagues on cheques to herself to make them look plausible.
She went on to splash the money on a car, restaurant bills, hotel stays, beauty treatments and even used it to pay for her honeymoon.
Despite making a ‘no comment’ interview, Durham Constabulary detectives specialising in fraud left no stone unturned and today Tucker will be starting a 28-month prison sentence.
Fraud Investigator, Detective Constable Ali Blackett, of Durham Constabulary’s Economic Crime Unit said: “Fraud is a despicable crime that can have far-reaching consequences for victims especially for vital organisation such as the NHS.
“Tucker not only abused her position of trust in both organisations but went to great lengths to hide her deceit so it is satisfying to see justice served.”