Haulage Boss and Drivers Jailed Over £30M Money Laundering Scam
Six crooks, including a top manager and two drivers from a road haulage firm, have been locked up for running a massive money laundering racket worth more than £30 million in cash.
Boss Gets 14 Years for Laundering Millions
Marcus Justin Hughes, who ran Genesis 2014 (UK) Ltd, was sentenced to 14 years at Stoke Crown Court for conspiracy to launder cash. Leon Woolley, the company’s transport planner, got five and a half years for the same crime.
Drivers Nicholas Fern and Damion Morgan each received five and a half years after being found guilty of money laundering over several months.
Encrypted Phones and International Links Exposed
The crime was uncovered through intercepts of encrypted Encrochat phones, revealing Hughes talking to Dubai-based Craig Johnson, a convicted fraudster from Stoke-on-Trent. They planned to collect huge sums of unexplained cash across the UK and abroad, moving it to Dubai for “legit” transfer.
The French authorities hacked Encrochat and tipped off the UK police. On March 26, 2021, two Genesis vans were stopped while carrying about £700,000 in cash. Hughes was arrested the same day, and £60,000 was found at his home.
Criminal Networks Busted, Billions at Stake
The total laundered cash is estimated between £30 million and £45 million. Hughes, previously convicted of drug trafficking and VAT fraud, was banned from running a haulage firm since 2018 but ignored it.
Other gang members included Liam Bailey and Simon Davies, who helped direct the dirty money transfers.
“These defendants were key players in a nationwide organised crime group moving huge sums of illicit cash for their own profit and that of criminals across the UK,” said Jonathan Kelleher from the CPS.
Detective Inspector Jonathan Jones added: “Their convictions send a strong message: money laundering won’t be tolerated. It’s just as vicious as the original crimes funding it.”
The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division will now move to seize assets gained through this criminal enterprise.
