Today at Edinburgh High Court, Richard Sutton Housley, from Edinburgh, and Caroline Jane Laing, from Denny, were sentenced to a total of 6 and a half years imprisonment, following their convictions on 29 January 2013.
Housley received a 4 year prison sentence, while Laing received a 2 year, 6 month prison sentence.
Both accused were convicted of money laundering in contravention of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Section 328(1).
Housley was also convicted of income tax fraud, and failing to make a report to law enforcement when he knew or suspected, or had reasonable grounds for suspecting, that others were engaged in money laundering, contrary to Section 330(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Their total benefit from their crimes was £1.8 million.
The investigation, which has spanned 8 years since the primary investigations by HMRC in 2004, was led by the Economic Crime Unit of the Serious and Organised Crime Division of COPFS, based in Edinburgh.
Speaking after the conclusion of the case, Lindsey Miller, head of the Serious and Organised Crime Division of COPFS, said:
“After an extremely complex investigation, today we have seen justice delivered to individuals who participated in money laundering and fraud on an industrial scale.
“The investigation into their crimes has spanned the globe, with our Economic Crime Unit gathering evidence from companies and financial institutions in the UK, Greece, Cyprus, Switzerland, the United States and the British Virgin Islands.
“This case powerfully demonstrates the ability of our specialist units to prosecute cases of the utmost scale and complexity and bring to justice all those who seek to benefit from crime.”
Austin Lafferty, President of the Law Society of Scotland, said:
“This case emphasises the importance of the Proceeds of Crime Act & the Money Laundering Regulations for solicitors. Solicitors need to ensure that they comply with their professional and legal obligations in this area and report suspicious activity to the relevant authority.
“If solicitors need advice on practice rules, ethics and anti-money laundering they should call the Law Society’s confidential professional practice helpline, on 0131 226 8896.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
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