International Criminal Jailed for Nearly a Decade in Surrey Crime Spree
James Ottomar Mosbacher, 54, a dual German-US national with no fixed address, has been handed a hefty nine years and six months behind bars. The Guildford Crown Court found him guilty of a raft of offences, including money laundering, possession of a fully functional Smith & Wesson revolver, military-grade ammunition, and using forged identity documents.
Arrest in Cranleigh Uncovers Luxury Cars, Cash, and Fake Passports
Mosbacher was arrested in May 2016 during a police raid on a property on Guildford Road, Cranleigh. At the time, he was wanted by German authorities for drug importation offences. Alongside Mosbacher, officers seized nearly a quarter of a million euros, over £11,000 in cash, a luxury Range Rover, forged identity documents including a fake Lithuanian passport and a UK driving licence, plus body armour, money counting machines, and tracking devices.
Further Raids Reveal More Firearms and Criminal Links Across Europe
Investigations continued, leading Surrey Police to a storage unit in Leatherhead, where they discovered the handgun and military ammunition. German authorities confirmed Mosbacher’s long criminal history with ties all over Europe.
Escape, Capture, and Extradition Drama
While serving a two-year, four-month sentence in Germany for drug offences, Mosbacher dodged UK extradition amid Brexit’s legal chaos. But he was picked up in Lithuania in August 2020. After intense collaboration between the Crown Prosecution Service, Surrey Police, and the National Crime Agency, Mosbacher was finally extradited to the UK in December 2020, just before his European Arrest Warrant expired.
Convictions and Police Praise for Long-Running Investigation
- Money laundering
- Possession of prohibited firearm (handgun)
- Possession of expanding military ammunition
- Possession of ammunition without a firearms certificate
Mosbacher also pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing forged identity documents with intent.
“Mosbacher can be genuinely described as an ‘International Criminal’ who believed he was untouchable,” said Detective Constable Gordon Krebel from Surrey Police’s Economic Crime Unit.
“He thought hiding out in the Surrey countryside would help him slip under the radar. This lengthy and complex investigation, involving cooperation with German authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service, ensures he faces justice for crimes committed both at home and abroad.”
