A former healthcare assistant has been jailed for 15 months after using the credit cards of cancer patients she was supposed to care for. London Police say 33-year-old Mira Solmaz was jailed for 15 months after she pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and four months for three counts of possession of articles for use in fraud.
The sentences will run concurrently. Solmaz also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. Police say Solmaz had access to the victims’ wards. The police investigation determined that the cards were linked to Solmaz through email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers.
Investigators found Solmaz’s screenshots of the transactions. In April 2021, 65-year-old Hazel Longhurst became aware of odd transactions on her cards despite being in the hospital at the time. The cancer patient’s daughter filed a police report on 7 April 2021.
Police say approximately £1,660 worth of fraudulent purchases were made on the cards. Another cancer patient at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Todd Mallonee, noticed his credit card and other items missing on 31 December 2020.
His wife phoned police on 5 January 2021. Police say some £360 worth of transactions on the cards were linked to Solmaz. London Police say Mr. Mallonee passed away at 48 on 28 April 2021.
Jay Skelton is an independent crime journalist with a passion for covering the uncovered and the under covered.