Man fraudulently claimed social welfare 463 times

A Romanian man who stole more than €85,000 from the State by fraudulently claiming social welfare 463 times has today been jailed for three years.

Stefan Onofrei, of Castlegate, Balbriggan, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample charges of theft between January of 2009 and February 2010.

The 34-year-old bought a Lithuanian passport for €200 and used it to get a PPS number and after losing his job in construction used the fake name to claim various social welfare payments, including job seekers allowance and rent allowance.

The father-of-two was arrested at his home after gardaí reviewed CCTV footage from various post offices around Dublin and Meath.