Ashfield council leader Jason Zadrozny on trial for fake heritage society fraud
Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, allegedly set up a fictitious heritage group to siphon thousands in public funds. He faces 12 fraud charges and four counts of tax evasion.
Ashfield council leader accused of creating fictitious society to pocket public grants
Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, set up a fraudulent heritage organisation in order to obtain thousands of pounds in public funding and channel the money into his personal bank account, Northampton Crown Court heard on Tuesday, according to Google News IE — Crime (en).
Zadrozny, 46, an Ashfield Independent councillor from Stanton Hill, has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of fraud and four counts of tax evasion.
The Ashfield Heritage Society
Prosecutor James Varley told the jury that Zadrozny, who was also a Nottinghamshire county councillor at the time, opened a bank account in the name of the Ashfield Heritage Society (AHS) in February 2018. Three days later, he applied for £7,500 in public funding for the group — including £3,500 drawn from his own Councillors' Divisional Fund allocation, a £5,000 pot made available to every county council representative to support local organisations.
The AHS, as described in its application documents, aimed to be a "new society to support heritage projects in Ashfield". The address listed on the application form was 213 Forest Road — a road number that does not exist.
Nottinghamshire County Council issued the funds directly to Zadrozny, who deposited the money into the AHS account before withdrawing it in cash in March 2018.
Property purchase and cash transfers
Varley alleged that a portion of the grant money was used as part of a house purchase on Forest Road — the same street given as the fictitious AHS address. Financial records presented to the court showed Zadrozny had previously transferred £12,000 to his friend Thomas Hollis in connection with the property.
The house was subsequently purchased for more than £70,000 by another friend, Helen Smith, but Varley said the funds ultimately derived from Hollis, including money originating from Zadrozny. A further £5,000 in cash contributed to the purchase — money prosecutors said came from Zadrozny, withdrawn just 14 minutes before it was paid over, alongside £3,000 he had withdrawn the previous day.
When the property was sold in September 2021 for £168,000, Smith paid Hollis £97,000 and more than £68,000 was "gifted" to Zadrozny.
A second grant and the scheme unravels
In August 2018, Zadrozny applied for a further £1,600 for AHS, described as funding for "commemorative events, badges, poppies and road decorations". The money was again withdrawn in cash; within four minutes, £1,580 had been deposited into his personal account.
Varley told the court the AHS was a "scam" set up by Zadrozny because he was "short of money".
The court also heard that Zadrozny co-founded a second organisation, the Classic Cinema Club (CCC), alongside district councillor Ciaran Brown. Varley said the club was genuinely established for fans of "Carry On" films and received £1,200 through the Councillors' Divisional Fund. However, the club never held any events, and over three days in June 2019 — while Zadrozny's personal account was overdrawn — the funds were withdrawn in cash.
Discovery and police referral
The alleged scheme came to light in March 2021 when Catherine Mason, who was seeking election in Ashfield, began reviewing expenditure from the Councillors' Divisional Fund and encountered the AHS. The month prior, Zadrozny had applied for a further £625 in AHS funding despite the group having carried out no activity in the community for two years.
After social media posts raised questions about his conduct, Zadrozny contacted council members to say he had "made a mistake" and that AHS no longer existed. He also sought to attribute blame to a "respected local figure", claiming he had intended the £625 for the Kirkby Heritage Centre but had erred.
Nottinghamshire County Council subsequently launched a formal investigation and referred the matter to police.
Tax charges
Varley further told the court that Zadrozny failed to declare and pay tax on income from four rental properties he owns.
The court heard that Smith, Hollis and Brown have not been charged with any offence in connection with the investigation. The trial continues.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)