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Gang leader avoids an extra seven years in prison by paying back the proceeds of his part in a dirty cash laundering operation
- Nov 18, 2022
- Latest News
A well-known criminal gang leader has avoided another seven years being added onto his seven-year prison sentence after paying back £1,243,270.75, of his ill-gotten gains from a money laundering operation.
In a confiscation hearing on 27 February 2020, Thomas ‘Tommy’ Adams had his available assets determined by the Judge to be £1,243,270.75 and a Confiscation Order was made against him for that sum.
Adams ran a money laundering operation with his associates, which was foiled in 2014 when undercover police heard him discussing the illicit activity at a central London café.
Adams’ associates were also seen handing over a bag full of cash at Euston station and when police investigated further, they discovered a ledger recording the amounts laundered.
The network was convicted of money laundering offences in two separate trials in 2017 and jailed for more than 30 years collectively.
At the hearing at Croydon Crown Court on 27 February 2020, the prosecution was able to show that Adams had a criminal lifestyle and benefited significantly more than the value of the ‘dirty’ cash that he was trying to launder.
The Judge found that he had properties in London and Cyprus that he had gained through criminal activity, and that he had used third parties to hold his criminal property and help him launder cash through their bank accounts.
Adrian Foster of the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division said:
“Tommy Adams has finally paid back the full confiscation order amount determined by the Crown Court following proceedings in 2020.
“We worked closely with the police to make sure he did not benefit from the proceeds of his crime. To date he has paid back £1,243,270.75 from his criminal conduct.”
“Where criminals fail to pay the orders made against them, the CPS will robustly pursue them for the money they owe, asking that default prison sentences are imposed where necessary.”
“In the last five years over £530 million has been recovered from CPS obtained Confiscation Orders, ensuring that thousands of convicted criminals cannot profit from their offending. £118m of that amount has been returned to victims of crime, by way of compensation.”