Published date: 30 July 2013

http://www.newsnorthwales.co.uk/news/125059/couple-arrested-in-mold-are-jailed-for-money-laundering.aspx

A COUPLE arrested in Mold who were “foot-soldiers” in a money-laundering operation have been jailed.

The young pair were said to have been recruited by an Albanian man who was involved in a scam selling on trading website eBay.

Defendant Ilie Andrei Ciucioi, 21, who is Romanian, was given false documents with his photographs on in order to open false bank accounts.

When his student girlfriend Raluca Crupenschi, 23, was unable to continue with her education in Romania because of the cost, she joined him in the UK.

The fellow Romanian believed that he had a good job and that she could also find one.

But she was roped into money laundering as well, Mold Crown Court was told.

They both admitted possessing criminal property – £13,250 in cash – on May 8, together with false identification documents.

Ciucioi, who gave the court a London address, admitted three counts of converting criminal property, a total of £10,000, knowing it to be the proceeds of crime, and Crupenschi admitted two charges involving £6,000.

It involved withdrawing money from bogus bank accounts in Mold, Chester and Manchester.

Money had successfully been withdrawn but when arrested in Mold they were found to have more than £13,000 in the car.

An address in Manchester linked to Ciucioi was searched and inside a safe police found further bogus identification documents containing the photographs of the two defendants, explained prosecuting David Mainstone.

Judge Niclas Parry said that they needed to understand that those who laundered money were almost as bad as the people who committed the original crime.

What they had done encouraged those who committed the original crime. Without them, those crimes would not be as profitable or possible.

“You played a crucial role in what was a sophisticated and well planned operation,” he said.

He described them as “cogs” or “foot-soldiers” and added: “I am sure that there are people above you who are profiting to a greater extent.”

The judge added: “It has to be understood that in North Wales this kind of criminality is far too common.

“It is committed by people like you and any sentence must involve an element of deterrence to others.”

Ciucioi received a 14 month prison sentence and Crupenschi wept as she received 12 months incarceration.

The judge made an order under The Proceeds of Crime Act that each had benefited to the tune of £6,625 and made a confiscation order to that amount.