An individual who embezzled more than $325,000 from his employer managed to squander most of it within a mere two days, describing the experience as a ‘weekend of madness’.
We’ve all experienced weekends where we might have overindulged on dining and entertainment, but imagine the extravagance of spending over $300,000 in just one weekend.
For most, this scenario is unimaginable, but for Brit Darren Carvill, it became a reality when he initially defrauded Mr Clutch, a UK-based car servicing company.
In 2019, Carvill was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after using a large portion of the stolen $325,000 (approximately £260,000) for a wild weekend in London, reportedly involving cocaine and the company of up to ten female escorts, as noted by LBC.
Following his release from prison for that offense, Carvill changed his last name to Medhurst, facilitating his employment as a finance assistant at 360 Travel, a UK-based independent travel agency.
However, Carvill reverted to his fraudulent activities, stealing over $95,000 between July and August 2022 from the travel agency, as recounted in court. With suspicions mounting and a police investigation underway, he moved on to work at the Holiday Inn hotel chain.
His new employer at Holiday Inn grew suspicious when his behavior became erratic and he began missing shifts.
The employee initially claimed that his mother had dementia but later confessed during a police interview that he embezzled the funds to ‘make himself feel better’.
Prosecutor Stacey-Lee Holland stated: “He said he had been down at the time and this was a way to make himself feel better.”
Regarding his actions at the travel agency, the prosecutor explained: “He entered the office, completed a refund of £9,784 ($12,100) and transferred it to his bank card. He did this almost immediately upon arriving at work that day.
“He then accessed the cash office, opened the safes, and took £3,261 ($4,000) in cash, concealing it in his jacket.
“He was brazen in his actions because, as he left, he lifted his jacket, revealing the cash, and told a colleague ‘See you in the morning’ before leaving the hotel.”
In his defense, Carvill’s lawyer, Katie Bacon, stated that he felt ‘deep remorse’ for his fraudulent behavior.
Carvill had accumulated 57 previous convictions, with 52 related to fraud.
As a result of the incident at Holiday Inn, Carvill now faces a three-year prison sentence.
Addressing him in court, Judge Julian Smith said: “You are not a victim. Others are the victims. Your name carries that stain of dishonesty by what you did. By not declaring it is misrepresenting your background. You may want to wipe the slate clean. You can’t do that by not declaring.”