A woman who helped more than 170 Romanians illegally claim £2.9m in benefits has been jailed for two years and three months.Lavinia Olmazu, 31, a campaigner for the rights of Romany Gypsies, helped mastermind the scam involving 172 members of the Romanian community.
Olmazu, of north-east London, gained access to them through her work with Haringey and Waltham Forest councils.
She had admitted a fraud charge at Southwark Crown Court in July.
As well as working as an outreach worker with the councils, the university graduate was involved with the Big Issue.
She set up companies with her boyfriend to help facilitate the frauds they carried out as part of a gang.
Sentencing her, Judge Deborah Taylor told Olmazu her role in the fraud was "made easier" by her involvement with the local authorities and charities which granted her access to people within the Roma community.
She added: "You identified individuals who wished to be involved in this scheme and in doing so, abused your position with a number of charities.
"You were a previously well-respected woman working in human rights. You have now lost your reputation by involving yourself in this fraud."
Immigrants from Romania are not entitled to a National Insurance number, and therefore a number of benefits, unless they can prove to the authorities they have been employed.
The court heard Olmazu and her partner would offer false documents to the migrants purporting to be from their employers, and also provided them with fake references.
As well as providing fake documents, they filed false claims for child tax credits, working tax credits and child benefit.
Olmazu, who has an 11-year-old son, admitted one count of conspiracy to supply articles for use in fraud between November 2007 and August 2009.