Married couple made £146k illegally - court
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... 4927484/2/
A TAXI businessman caught with illegal drugs in his home made more than £110,000 from crime, a court has ruled.
Lee Clayton’s profits from criminal activity dwarfed the value of the drugs that earned him a prison sentence.
And his wife Vicky, an illegal money lender who was the first in Teesside to be convicted under tighter legislation, made over £36,000.
She now has the lion’s share of that sum as a debt hanging over her own head.
The husband and wife must pay a total of almost £23,000 to the state under laws designed to strip criminals of ill-gotten cash and assets.
Mr Clayton, 29, was running a taxi firm when police found 96g of amphetamine worth nearly £1,000 in a sock in the family kitchen.
He admitted possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply.
Meanwhile Mrs Clayton, 31, admitted unlicensed money lending after it emerged that she had loaned £22,600 to friends and neighbours between 2006 and 2008.
Teesside Crown Court heard previously she charged annual interests rates up to 2,000%.
When police raided the couple’s home on Fordy Grove, Thornaby, they discovered a ledger containing details of 47 borrowers.
The pair were given suspended prison sentences.
This week, they were back in court where the amount they had made from crime was agreed by lawyers.
Mr Clayton made £112,310 while his wife made £36,090.
Investigators found that some £90,000 worth of unidentified cash deposits had been made into Mr Clayton’s bank accounts over a six-year period.
He had three vehicles - a Fiat Scudo, a Ford Tourneo and a Ford Transit - worth a total of £10,500. Cash was also seized during the case.
His “realisable assets” - the amount he now has available to pay the authorities - was £22,423, which he was ordered to pay within six months or go to prison for 18 months.
The financial probe revealed Mrs Clayton had about £13,000 in unidentified cash going into her account.
But she only had £376.51 to pay, also in six months.
After they pay what they currently can, the couple will still effectively have the balance, some £125,000, as a debt.
If they come into significant assets or money, the authorities can pursue them for more of the cash to satisfy the Proceeds of Crime order.
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks said: “This clearly shows those people who have become involved in drug dealing and illegal lending will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law and their assets will be confiscated.”
Detective Inspector Dave Turnbull from Cleveland Police added: “This is another excellent result.
“Cleveland Police will always make full use of the powers under the Proceed of Crime Act to ensure that drug dealers and other criminals do not benefit from their crimes.”
He urged members of the public to report knowledge of drugs or criminal activity to the police or Crimestoppers.
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