Family jailed for counterfeit tobacco sales
Four members of a Seaham family have been sentenced to jail after being found guilty of selling counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco.
Ian Brace, 53, and his wife Julie, 52, ran a “tab house” from their home in Everton Drive, Seaham, selling fake, cheap cigarettes to customers who came knocking at their door.
The couple made hundreds of thousands of pounds in the process, with the potential turnover of the business estimated at between £936,000 and £1.2million over the course of three years.
Following a tip-off, Durham County Council trading standards team conducted six test purchases from the house in August and September 2016, where several brands of cigarettes were bought from both Mr and Mrs Brace at their door.
As part of the investigation, it was identified that there were up to 10 customers per hour and about 120 per day visiting the house between the opening hours of 8am to 8pm.
Purchases were also made from children in school uniform.
A raid on the property recovered a total of 1,141 packs of cigarettes with a street value of £4,000, along with 414 packs of 50g rolling tobacco worth £3,186.
Ian Brace’s brother, David Brace, 41, who lived across the road in Everton Drive, was also discovered to be involved in the business, storing Turners rolling tobacco at his home until it was needed in the shop.
Ian Brace’s sister, Julie Wilkinson, 49, from Calvert Terrace in Murton, was also discovered to be running the business when the couple were away on holiday, with records showing she sold more than £1,800 of stock in just a few days.
Ian Brace pleaded guilty to charges of selling or distributing counterfeit goods, supplying tobacco without a combined health warn- ing and supplying tobacco without a general health warning.
He was given sentences of two years and four months and another of 10 months, to run concurrently.
Julie Brace, who in mitigation said she did not play a managerial role in the business, was found guilty of the same charges and given a 16-month sentence and another of 10 months to run at the same time.
David Brace pleaded guilty to supplying tobacco without a combined health warning and was handed a 10-month sentence.
Julie Wilkinson, who claimed her role was limited, pleaded guilty to selling or distributing counterfeit goods and was given an eight month sentence.