The money laundering offences were born out of cyber-enabled payment diversion fraud activity that occurred between February and April 2017.
During this period, victims were defrauded cumulatively to the tune of more than £200,000. The fraud involved email accounts of victims in North Yorkshire and in 1 being compromised, and money transfers – including funds from the sale of a property on one particular occasion – being intercepted and diverted to fraudulent bank accounts.
From there, the stolen money was transferred through various personal bank accounts, with large sums also being spent or withdrawn including from banks and at a London casino.
These frauds were initially investigated separately by other police forces, before Hampshire’s ECU launched an investigation in 123 on Wednesday 3 May this year, at a trial which began on Monday 17 April:
- Tyrone Christie (also known as Tyrone Trim), aged 48, of Riverside Drive in Mitcham, Surrey, was found guilty of entering into or becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement between 13 July 2016 and 25 July 2017.
- Gareth Amaru Williams (also known as Gary Taylor), aged 57, of Manor Road in 123 this year to concealing, converting, disguising, or removing £20,000 of criminal property between 1 January 2017 and 9 May 2018.
They remain on bail awaiting sentence.
