Five men who laundered almost £1.5 million of dirty money through a Paisley law firm have been jailed for more than 30 years.
The cash was funnelled through the client account of Robertson’s law firm on Causeyside Street to try and make it look legitimate.
Solicitors Iain Robertson, Alastair Blackwood and David Lyons, along with Mohammed Aziz and Robert Ferguson, were yesterday sentenced by Lord Richardson at the High Court in Glasgow.
All five were found guilty last month following a nine-week trial that was triggered by a Law Society investigation into the Paisley legal firm Robertson & Ross.
They were convicted of fraud and multiple charges under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Robertson, Lyons and Aziz were also convicted on charges of being involved in serious organised crime.
Robertson, 69, of Kilmacolm, was jailed for eight years while Blackwood, of Dunlop in Ayrshire, and Lyons, 71, also of Kilmacolm, were each jailed for seven years.
Aziz, 61, of Partick in Glasgow, will spend seven years behind bars and Ferguson, 67, of Thornliebank, was jailed for 16 months.
Prosecutors told jurors the case centred on four transactions carried out between May 2015 and July 2016. The first transaction involved a £79,340 stolen cheque due to be paid to a law firm in Jersey.
The next centred on £240,000 from a fraudulent house sale in London. The third transaction saw £985,000 stolen from the hacked bank account of an individual.
And the final illegal activity was uncovered after Robertson claimed to be acting for a man who wanted to sell his home in Essex. The court heard that the “seller” was said to be staying at a flat that turned out to be Ferguson’s address. A total of £181,786 was made from the fraudulent sale.
In each transaction, the proceeds were funnelled through the client bank account held by Robertson’s firm in Paisley, Robertson & Ross Limited, and false records were created to make them appear legitimate.
Fake papers and fake IDs – including a passport and driver’s licence – were collated in a bid to cover up the crimes. The Law Society raised concerns about several of these transactions before alerting police to the potential illegal activity.
The trial heard that lawyer Robertson, who has been suspended by the Law Society along with Blackwood, was at the heart of the money-laundering scheme since he had access to his firm’s client account.
Laura Buchan, procurator for specialist casework, welcomed the sentences and said it was crucial that the public had faith and trust in lawyers.
“The public rightly must have confidence in lawyers to uphold the law,” she said. “These individuals fell far short of the standards of professional conduct the public are entitled to expect from members of the legal profession.
“Money laundering is not a victimless crime and plays an integral role in a complex, large-scale operation which facilitates the criminal activity of others.
“I hope these convictions and the sentence send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour and demonstrates the ability of police and prosecutors to investigate, prepare and prosecute serious and organised crime of this nature.”
David Gordon, convener of the Law Society of Scotland Regulatory Committee, said: “In this case, the Law Society acted to protect clients when serious issues were identified at Paisley law firm Robertson & Ross.
“The society suspended two solicitors at the firm from practice and successfully petitioned the Court of Session to appoint a judicial factor to protect the firm’s clients and the public interest.
“The Law Society has robust anti-money laundering measures in place to protect the public and ensure the legitimate services provided by legal practices are not misused for criminal purposes.
“This outcome in court highlights the importance of taking swift action and ensuring that concerns were reported to the
authorities.”
Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
