Money launderer to pay back £49,000 over scam

‘Deluded’ Dundee man thought he had also won a cash prize

A “deluded” money launderer who helped run a lottery scam has been ordered to hand over £49,000 in ill-gotten cash he took from his elderly victims.

Gerald Sunnie, 58, took in tens of thousands of pounds from three OAPs across the country – sending most of the cash on to “individuals across Europe” and keeping a cut for himself from each transaction.

He was jailed for six months last year after he was convicted of his role in the fraud. Prosecutors then brought a proceeds of crime action against Sunnie.

Dundee Sheriff Court earlier heard that Sunnie admits personally profiting by £4,000 from the fraud.

However, prosecutors want to recover all of the money lost by the victims from Sunnie.

Depute fiscal Fiona Hood said: “He accepts he made around £4,000 from the transactions – his profit if you like.

“However, a larger sum filtered through his accounts and the Crown say he has obtained that larger sum in connection with his criminal conduct.”

Sheriff Alastair Brown agreed and ordered him to pay £49,000.

Sunnie got involved in the fraud after being “deluded” into believing he himself had won £200,000 from a US lottery – a prize that never turned up.

He started taking in cheques that he was told were to cover “European tax liabilities” on his winnings – passing the money on after taking his portion of it.

But Trading Standards investigators twice visited Sunnie to tell him he was helping to facilitate an international fraud and his bank accounts were shut down due to “fraudulent activity”.

However, Sunnie then started up his activity again in August 2013, taking in dozens of cheques from three elderly victims and sending them on over the course of a year.

Sunnie told his trial that he had not thought the fraud was in fact a scam and still thought he could receive a £200,000 cheque.

He claimed a man from the fraudsters he was passing the money to had called him just two weeks ago saying his cheque was still on the way.

Sunnie’s own lawyer said he was “deluded”. A sheriff jailed Sunnie for six months. Giving evidence in his own defence, Sunnie was asked by his lawyer, Gary McIlravey: “You were spoken to on a couple of occasions by people who said to you this was a scam.

“When they told you it was a scam, did you believe them?”

Sunnie said: “I couldn’t have at the time.” Mr McIlravey asked: “Do you still expect a cheque to come through your door?” Sunnie replied: “I do.”

At the earlier trial Sheriff Simon Collins convicted Sunnie, of Aboyne Avenue, Dundee, of the money laundering charge.

Gerald Sunnie outside Dundee Court.