The offence of money laundering is often found to have been committed along with other criminal offences. This was evident earlier this month when a Welsh man was sentenced to eight and a half years imprisonment for his involvement in a wide range of criminal activities, including money laundering, carried out across Europe.
Roger Budgen was, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA), a professional money launderer and head of a criminal group involved in money laundering and drugs trafficking.
The NCA's investigation into his activities began in 2010 and led, ultimately, to the arrest of over 50 individuals in a series of operations throughout Europe.
It revealed that Budgen, along with his wife, had banked over £300,000 despite having no declared income for in excess of 10 years. He had managed an international money laundering network enabling the unlawful transfer of criminal proceeds by putting other offenders in touch with each other, says the NCA.
Budgen had earlier pled guilty to the offences with which he was charged and the authorities have, so far, recovered over £1 million in cash and a substantial amount of illegal drugs as well as other criminally derived assets.
In addition to his prison sentence, Budgen also received a Serious Crime Prevention Order, which will restrict his ability to travel and methods of communication after his release.
Money laundering is a fast moving, complex, rapidly expanding area of law which affects individuals, professionals and businesses alike. It can involve prosecuting authorities as varied as the Department of Work and Pensions and the Revenue. Expert advice is essential.
Contact Lewis Nedas’ Criminal Lawyers in London
For specialist criminal defence advice on money laundering please contact our solicitors Jeffrey Lewis or Siobhain Egan on 020 7387 2032 or complete our online enquiry form here.
This blog post is intended as a news item only - no connection between Lewis Nedas and the parties concerned is intended or implied.
