Raymond Thomas,73, from Norfolk, made a claim he was a spy for the US Homeland Security to avoid HMRC prosecution. Thomas was originally jailed in November 2017 for four years and eight months after the HMRC found he had stolen £1.6 million.
He told family and friends he was a spy and his business, Cambridge Computer Graphics (CCG), sold aviation radar systems to account for his lavish lifestyle.
After a £98,000 claim, the HMRC uncovered some discrepancies and Thomas said his work as a US spy meant he had to destroy all paperwork. The HMRC checked with the US Department of Defense and Homeland Security where the invoices used were revealed as being forged documents.
On 24 June 2019, Thomas was ordered to pay back £616,551 and his wife, Susan Weston, 70, as ordered to pay £439,551, in three months. If the amounts are not paid back the default prison sentences of five years for Thomas and four years for Weston will be activated.