Accountant Jailed for Money Laundering

An accountant from a Cheltenham law firm has been jailed for six years after laundering more than £1.2 million aiding an international drug dealer and funding his own a luxury lifestyle.

Malcolm Carle admitted three offences of money laundering, encoding accounts and setting up a complex network of trusts and companies abroad to hide money, all to cover up the cash coming in from the sale of drugs.

Between November 2007 and November 2008 the company accounts list that they generated almost £1,000,000, which was actually from importing cannabis to their office in Cheltenham. It was also found that on 10 occasions between 24 December 2007 and 25 November 2011, Carle picked up cash ranging from £25,000 to £100,000 totaling £593,000.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) have managed to trace a transfer of £1.2 million back from abroad however it has been commented that the accounts were cleverly concealed.

Five co-defendants were also jailed for their part in the drug scam and although Carle originally denied all knowledge, he later confirmed that MTC Law was a ‘big front’.