A 40-year-old man has admitted embezzling £16,680 from his employer, Belvoir Lettings in Edinburgh, after submitting a series of fake invoices for work that was never carried out.

Edinburgh News reports that Ross Young carried out the fraud over a ten-month period between January and October 2019 while working as general manager at the firm’s branch in Dundas Street. 

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Young had responsibility for hiring staff, promoting the company, and had access to the agency’s computer systems and credit card.

The scam came to light when an accounts manager became suspicious about a number of invoices linked to work supposedly carried out on properties managed by the agency. An investigation revealed that several companies named in the invoices had not been instructed to do any work. 

Police were contacted and it was found that a total of £16,680 had been transferred into an account owned by the defendant.

Young, of Colinton, Edinburgh, originally faced a charge of embezzling £31,154, but this figure was amended ahead of his guilty plea at court on Monday. His solicitor reserved mitigation for the sentencing hearing.

Sheriff Francis Walls deferred sentence for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment. Sentencing is due next month.