A mother-of-five made £1.5million running a high-class escort agency with former TOWIE star Maria Fowler on its books while claiming £117,000 in benefits and tax credits, a court heard.
Janine Adeleke, 42, claimed state handouts while running agency Carltons Of London from her seaside home Bexhill-On-Sea, East Sussex.
One of her children was sent to the exclusive Roedean boarding school for girls, while her family had private medical insurance and membership to the David Lloyd gym.
She is now facing jail after being found guilty of seven counts of cheating the revenue, fraud and money laundering at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday.
At the start of the trial, Allastair Walker, prosecuting, told the jury that for eight years between November 2006 and October last year Adeleke had failed to disclose significant income – much of which came from the escort business.
‘During this period she claimed state benefits including Income Support, Council Tax benefit and carer’s allowance,’ he said.
The jury heard that in July 2011, when she suspected that Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators were on her trail, she laundered receipts through accounts in the name of her elderly and frail mother.
‘Over the years, the defendant received nearly £1.5m of undeclared income,’ said Mr Walker.
‘At least £650,000 should have been declared to revenue and customs.
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