THE operator of a North-East taxi firm has been sentenced by magistrates after one of his employees was caught fiddling a benefit claim.
Leslie Rogan, 42, of Scott Street, Stanley, County Dur-ham, owns South Moor Taxis.
Anti-fraud officers from the Department for Work and Pensions discovered one of his drivers was claiming income support without declaring his work as a cabbie.
The driver has since been found guilty of benefit fraud.
He was charged with two offences under the Social Security Administration Act - including obstructing officers in the exercise of their powers - but denied both charges.
Durham magistrates heard that Rogan denied employing the driver even when confronted with a witness statement from the man himself.
He was given a 12-month Community Rehabilitation Order and ordered to pay legal costs of £250.
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