Brighton company director jailed for bribing fire service manager

A Brighton company director has been jailed for bribing an IT manager at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

Wesley Mezzone, 35, of Ridge View, Woodingdean, was jailed for 20 months after being found guilty of bribery and corruption at Brighton Crown Court.

Mezzone was working for a Brighton company, Mason IT, which was a supplier to the fire service. He ran a £46,000 scam with John Reynolds, 48, who was working as an IT network manager for the fire service.

East Sussex Fire Authority said that it “welcomes the decision to sentence two men to prison terms after being found guilty of bribery and corruption charges”.

The fire authority said: “John Reynolds, an electrician from The Hydneye, Eastbourne, was found guilty of theft, fraud by abuse of position, false accounting, bribery and corruption. He has been sentenced to a maximum of 30 months.

“All the charges relate to offences committed between 2010 and 2013.

“This was an isolated case and it is difficult to accept a member of staff so badly abused the trust the authority had put in them.

“His deliberate and sustained pattern of behaviour has betrayed the public whom the authority is here to serve and naturally this matter has been taken very seriously.

“The authority is actively exploring whether we can recover any of the money illegally obtained by the guilty individuals.

“It would also like to thank those involved in bringing this successful prosecution to the courts.”