A finance worker has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing over £91,000 from a breast cancer charity to finance his wedding and honeymoon. Tameem Choudhury, 29, diverted funds from The Royal Marsden hospital, where he was employed by the charity Breast Cancer Now, into his personal bank account.
Choudhury admitted to fraud by false representation and converting criminal property between August 11 and October 9, 2023. He spent more than £49,000 within two days of diverting the funds. Messages to friends indicated he was "borderline broke" prior to the offenses. The stolen money was used for luxury items, airline tickets to Qatar, and wedding and honeymoon expenses. He also made payments to debt collection agencies and transferred funds to family members.
His bank account with Santander was eventually closed due to suspicious activity, with £42,866.25 remaining. Choudhury, from Stoke Newington, north London, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2023.
Breast Cancer Now stated that a thorough review of internal processes has been conducted to mitigate future occurrences. The charity confirmed that funds have been recovered and it has not experienced any financial loss. Detective Constable Yusuf Meerza of the City of London Police highlighted that Choudhury abused a position of trust and that the case demonstrates how fraud can be committed from within an organization by entrusted individuals.
The Royal Marsden, founded in 1851, is a specialist cancer hospital with sites in London. Breast Cancer Now describes itself as the UK's leading breast cancer charity focused on funding research and support services.