Fraudster told his £70,000 poker win must go to taxman

A FRAUDSTER who pocketed nearly £70,000 in cash after winning a poker tournament has been told he must give the entire haul to HM Revenue and Customs.

Adam Lulat was jailed for 28 months in 2015 for his involvement in a £40 million money-laundering plot and VAT fraud.

When he was sentenced, he was told he only had to repay £1 because he had no assets, while five others in the gang were ordered to repay £590,000.

However, when it was discovered that Lulat, 26, of Preston, Lancs, had won £68,930 at a poker tournament in Manchester, he was ordered to hand all the money to the tax office.

An HMRC spokesman said: “Lulat thought he’d aced the tournament but we had the better hand in the end.”

During the hearing at Manchester Crown Court, Lulat was also ordered to hand over £2,840 held in a personal bank account within three months or face another 15 months in jail, HMRC said.

Lulat was a part of a gang that worked for other crime groups moving £40million of illicit cash using banks in the UK and Europe in 2010 and 2011.