Former Bolton council employee jailed for abusing position of trust
A former Bolton Council employee has been jailed for defrauding £893,926.01 in benefits from vulnerable adults whose finances he was responsible for managing.
Richard James Shaw, 46, of Harrier Close, Bolton, was sentenced to four years and eight months’ imprisonment at Bolton Crown Court on 18 February 2026. He had pleaded guilty on 12 December 2025 to one count of fraud by abuse of position, contrary to sections 1 and 4 of the Fraud Act 2006.
The prosecution was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Shaw worked for the Bolton Metropolitan Council’s Financial Protection Team. Initially appointed as a Finance Officer, he later became an Appointee Officer in 2014. His role involved managing state benefits for service users who were unable to handle their own finances and had no one else to assist them.
Between 5 May 2015 and 18 April 2023, Shaw transferred a total of £893,926.01 from council accounts and from the personal funds of vulnerable service users into bank accounts belonging to himself, his wife, and a joint account. The court heard that he diverted money into nine separate accounts.
At the time, Shaw was responsible for managing the finances of 217 service users. Of those, 43 were deceased, with funds awaiting transfer to next of kin or the state. He used his detailed knowledge of the council’s financial systems to move money without detection over an eight year period.
The stolen funds were spent on luxury items and personal expenses. These included two BMW vehicles costing nearly £120,000, garden improvements worth almost £18,000, and holiday lodges in the Ribble Valley valued at £100,000. The prosecution also identified more than £53,000 in payments to different women, described in bank references as “treat” and “nice”, amounting to hundreds of pounds each week.
The fraud came to light in February 2023 after concerns were raised about accounts running unusually low. Shaw was suspended and later dismissed. A search of his personal locker uncovered bank cards belonging to service users and a list of deceased clients.
Stephane Pendered, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS Serious Economic and Organised Crime International Directorate, said Shaw had been entrusted with safeguarding the finances of some of the most vulnerable people in the community, but instead stole from them systematically.
The CPS confirmed it will begin confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover funds and assets obtained through the offending.