Man jailed for National Museum of Scotland stamp fraud

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A man who defrauded his employer of more than £14,000 in postage stamps has been jailed for 12 months.

Joseph McGuire, 46, from Edinburgh, used a franking machine at the National Museum of Scotland to order stamps, which he sold online.

The fraud emerged when the Royal Mail Criminal Intelligence unit discovered large numbers of books of stamps were being sold cut-price on the internet.

Sheriff Fiona Reith told McGuire it was "really a quite sophisticated scheme".

She said McGuire devised the fraud after "having felt unfairly treated by your employers following disciplinary proceedings".

He carried out the deception over a two-and-a-half year period from 1 January 2011 to 1 August 2013.

The sheriff was told by defence solicitor Jonathan Campbell that his client fully accepted responsibility for the fraud and had tendered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

At the time of the offences there had been difficulties in his relationship, he was depressed after the disciplinary hearing, had financial difficulties and was caring for his father who had significant problems with dementia.

"He was not funding a lavish lifestyle," Mr Campbell said.

He added that the money and stamps recovered at McGuire's home and in his locker at the museum were valued at £13,276 and this could be paid to the museum immediately.

The sheriff took into account the factors outlined by McGuire's defence but she said it would send out the "wrong message" if such criminal behaviour was not "punished severely".

An earlier hearing had heard that McGuire, as a museum messenger, had unrestricted access to the mail room of the NMS.

He used the franking machine to order huge quantities of stamps from the Royal Mail, far in excess of what the museum needed.
He pleaded guilty to obtaining stamps valued at £14,458 by fraud.