Brother Duo and Gang Jailed for £1.3 Million Stolen Plant Machinery Scam
Three men, including a pair of brothers, have been locked up while four others received suspended sentences for their roles in a £1.3 million stolen machinery racket. The gang snatched 46 plant machines across the North West between 2015 and 2018, selling them through a Nelson industrial unit where they wiped out ID numbers to avoid detection.
Stolen Machines Sold Across Europe and Australia
The Nelson gang didn’t just sell locally—they shipped the stolen plant machines all across Europe and even as far as Australia. Each machine was worth anywhere between £8,000 and £105,000.
Victims thought they were buying from legit businesses, only realising the truth after police seized the machines during their investigation. Two buyers lost several machines each and spoke of the heavy financial and reputational toll in victim impact statements.
Sentences Handed Down at Preston Crown Court
- Max Wynn, 34, Wigan – 8½ years behind bars
- Karl Langley, 44, Burnley – 2 years suspended for 18 months
- Alex Grice, 33, Burnley – 5 years 11 months in prison
- Richard Wynn, 47, Burnley – 8½ years in prison
- Craig Douglas, 41 – 18 months suspended for 18 months
- Gavin Mellor, 53, Burnley – 2 years suspended for 18 months
- Ian Mellor, 72, Ruthin – 10 months suspended for 18 months
The Inside Story: How The Scam Unfolded
Police launched their probe after a victim recognised his stolen digger being sold from the Nelson unit. When officers raided the site, Max Wynn and Alex Grice were caught red-handed trying to clone another stolen machine.
Wynn, dubbed the “driving force,” ran the company buying and selling the stolen gear. His name was on the lease of the industrial unit where crews stripped off ID numbers to cover their tracks.
Wynn is linked to all 46 stolen machines. He funnelled sales cash through family and friends, pocketed VAT payments without declaring them, and reinvested in more stolen gear. Despite initially denying charges, he admitted conspiracy and money laundering in November 2022.
Karl Langley’s phone records placed him at the Nelson unit often, linked to £50,000 worth of stolen machines. He pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods. Alex Grice earned a cut for every machine he helped disguise and admitted conspiracy.
Richard Wynn, Max’s brother, shuttled machines to customers, negotiated sales, and aided money laundering. He was convicted after trial. Craig Douglas rebranded one stolen £80,000 machine to boost its legitimacy and pleaded guilty.
Gavin Mellor helped buy companies to mask the stolen machinery sales. Ian Mellor, Gavin’s dad, laundered cash through “shell” firms, making the crime look legit. Both pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Victims and Police React
“I’ve traded in this business for 20 years on trust and goodwill. Finding out I bought stolen goods has tarnished my name and left me helpless,” said one victim.
“I’ve lost confidence in business and worry how others see me now,” he added.
“We uncovered a conspiracy involving over a million pounds of stolen plant, sold locally and as far as Spain, Sweden, and Australia,” said PC Neil Goodison.
“The gang’s audacity was staggering. We’ll not stand for rural communities being targeted, leaving innocent people suffering.”
These tough sentences send a clear message: crime like this won’t be tolerated.
