Group jailed after moving money through law firm
FIVE men have been jailed after a‘ complex’ investigation into organised crime and money laundering. Robert Ferguson, 67, Iain Robertson, 69, David Lyons, 71, Alastair Blackwood, 58, and Mohammed Aziz, 61, were convicted at Glasgow’s High Court of various offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. A police investigation found that money was obtained through fraud and this was then laundered through Robertson’s solicitors firm, Robertson and Ross in Paisley, dating back to four occasions in 2015 and 2016.
The first transaction involved a £ 79,340 stolen cheque due to be paid to a law firm in Jersey.
The next centred on £ 240,000 from a fraudulent house sale in London. The third transaction saw £ 985,000 stolen from the hacked bank account of an individual. Robertson claimed to be acting for a man who wanted to sell his home in Essex.
The trial heard that the “seller” was said to be staying at a flat that turned out to be Ferguson’s address and a total of £ 181,786 was made from the fraudulent sale.
Yesterday, Robertson, of Kilmacolm, was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Lyons, also of Kilmacolm, Aziz, of Partick, and Blackwood, of Dunlop, all received seven- year sentences. Robert Ferguson was sentenced to 16 months.
Laura Buchan, procurator for specialist casework, said: “The public rightly must have confidence in lawyers to uphold the law. These individuals fell far short of the standards of professional conduct the public are entitled to expect from members of the legal profession.
“Money laundering is not a victimless crime and plays an integral role in a complex, large- scale operation which facilitates the criminal activity of others. I hope these convictions and the sentence send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour and demonstrates the ability of police and prosecutors to investigate, prepare and prosecute serious and organised crime of this nature.
“COPFS will continue working with the police and other agencies to pursue those who profit from proceeds of crime.”