Man who stole identity of person who died to claim £19,000 from probate jailed

David Farrah-Tunnicliffe has been jailed for seven years and six months. Credit: South East Regional Organised Crime Unit

A man who stole the identities of multiple people, including a person who died in 2018, to defraud people out of £2 million has been jailed.

David Farrah-Tunnicliffe, aged 51, of HMP Lewes, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment, after a police investigation uncovered he was behind large scale fraud.

In October 2019, a bag belonging to Farrah-Tunnicliffe was handed into Brighton police station, which contained his passport, a number of mobile phones and a wallet. Within the wallet were cards in various names. 

A few days later, he left a wallet in a bank in Brighton which contained cards that were not in his name.  

As a result, an investigation was launched by Police and officers discovered that Farah-Tunnicliffe was setting up companies in alias names as well as working with two other men, using companies set up by them also.

The accounts for these companies were then used to launder the proceeds of frauds.  

Farrah-Tunnicliffe was found to have also assumed the identity of the man whose name was found on the cards left in the bank to claim £19,000 from probate solicitors - but an investigation determined the man had died in 2018.

A further investigation was launched jointly with the National Investigation Service (NATIS). It found that Farrah-Tunnicliffe was involved in applying for and obtaining rate relief from six councils and one loan he fraudulently received during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

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Investigating officer, DS Maria Isom, of SEROCU, said: “This has been a lengthy and complex investigation in which Farrah-Tunnicliffe, Harper and Robertson have used multiple bank accounts to launder the proceeds of invoice and investment frauds.  

“As a result, victims from across the world have lost large amounts of money.  

“Farrah-Tunnicliffe was highly knowledgeable and acted as a coach to Harper and Robertson, enabling them to carry out the money laundering.  

“Consequently, he will now spend time in prison. 

“I hope this case demonstrates the commitment that SEROCU has to tackling large-scale fraud and that offenders can expect to be caught and taken to court.”