Derby Ice Cream Van Boss Slapped with £1.1m Tax Bill Over Dodgy Deals
Tonino “Tony” Persico, 58, from Sinfin, Derby, ran ice cream vans and rented out industrial units on Osmaston Road. But behind the scenes, Derbyshire Police had their eye on the Persico family, with suspicions swirling around drugs, fraud, and money laundering. His sister was even convicted in 2013 for conspiracy to produce cannabis.
NCA Snaps Up £1.1 Million Tax Debt After HMRC Steps Back
Suspecting big cash flow from illegal activities, the National Crime Agency (NCA) took over from HMRC to dig deeper. They found Tony Persico owed a staggering £1,135,857.82 in unpaid income tax, National Insurance, interest, and penalties from 1996 to 2014. This came from rental income linked to industrial units he controlled at 555 Osmaston Road.
Complex Ownership Racket Uncovered in High Court Battle
Persico ignored the debt claim, prompting the NCA to get a court judgment against him in November 2017. But the NCA faced a tangle of ownership structures protecting his assets. One company, Osmaston Business Park Ltd, was suspiciously owned by his 16-year-old niece.
The High Court wasn’t fooled. On 21 December 2021, Mrs Justice Foster ruled Osmaston Business Park Ltd was a front for Persico. She slammed the case as clear-cut “concealment” and granted the NCA a final charging order on the 555 Osmaston Road property to settle the tax debt.
NCA Continues Crackdown on Persico’s Property Empire
This wasn’t the first hit. The NCA already locked down charging orders on three other properties at the same site linked to Persico to claw back what he owes. The message is clear — the NCA is hot on his trail and money won’t slip through easy.
