A Chafford Hundred man was sentenced to four months in prison for benefit fraud by Magistrates in Grays on Thursday, (1 October).
Jeffrey Gordon, 28, of San Marcos Drive, had previously admitted six charges of fraud in relation to claims for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit which had netted him over £6,000 in a 13-month period when he appeared before Basildon Magistrate Court.
He had originally been named Jeffrey Osei and later adopted the name Jeffrey Osei-Bonsu, subsequently changing it by deed poll to Marlon Osei-Bonsu and then to Jeffrey Gordon.
He used the name of Marlon Osei-Bonsu as his fictitious landlord on a property that he owned and produced fraudulent claim forms and tenancy agreements.
He had also twice submitted false tenancy forms indicating that his rental liability had increased in an attempt to obtain additional benefit.
Thurrock Council verification officers became suspicious of his claim during a routine visit to his property and a subsequent investigation unravelled his scam. When he was arrested, documents in all of his previous names were found at his address.
In addition to his sentence, he will have to repay all of the benefit that he had been awarded and would have been sentenced to six months imprisonment but for his early guilty plea.
