Sick Scam: Health Manager Steals 430 Lockdown Laptops and iPads

​A former health project manager who embezzled more than £120,000 worth of computer equipment earmarked for vulnerable, digitally isolated people during the COVID-19 pandemic has escaped an immediate prison sentence.

​Bobby Lee Smith, 37, of East Kilbride, abused his position as a health improvement lead with the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to systematically steal 301 iPads and 129 Chromebook laptops.

​Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Smith took charge of rolling out devices through the national “Connecting Scotland” initiative, which was designed to supply low-income households and vulnerable groups with internet access. Taking advantage of remote-working conditions with little oversight, Smith falsified distribution spreadsheets and diverted shipments directly to his own home in Croftfoot and his parents’ property in Cathcart.

​An internal audit by NHS counter fraud officers uncovered massive discrepancies after discovering that out of 22 intended recipient organisations, only four matched what was officially logged as delivered. A staggering 119 of the high-tech gadgets were never recovered.

​Sheriff Shona Gilroy told Smith he had suffered a “difficult fall from grace” that would impact his working life permanently. However, taking into account background reports, rehabilitation prospects, and the passage of time since the offenses occurred between July 2020 and July 2021, the court stepped back from a custodial sentence.

​Instead, Smith was handed a community payback order requiring him to complete 300 hours of unpaid work. He was also slapped with a nine-month restriction of liberty order, forcing him to remain indoors under a curfew between 7 PM and 7 AM.

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​Fraser Gibson, Procurator Fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, condemned the crime as an “egregious betrayal of trust”.

​”He took advantage of his position to embezzle equipment that was set aside to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” Gibson said. “Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. People who commit such crimes can expect to be held to account by prosecutors and the courts.”