A Preston man, who was ordered to pay back nearly £300,000 after pleading guilty to a range of charges including concealing the proceeds of crime, has been told he will spend longer in prison after failing to pay his confiscation order.
Peter Moss, 49, formerly of Cromwell Avenue, Penwortham, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court in 2006 to illegal possession of a firearm, possession of counterfeit currency, concealing the proceeds of crime, handling stolen goods and possessing Class B and Class C drugs for his own use. He was sentenced to seven years in prison on 31 May 2006.
The original confiscation hearing was made on 22 February 2008 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Moss was given 6 months to pay the original amount of £270,102.18 with the deadline of 22 August 2008 or he was warned he would face a three year, three month prison sentence by default.
Among the assets identified under the confiscation order were two houses and land in Bulgaria, property in the UK, plus money in a Bulgarian bank account and some other items including jewellery.
To date Moss has paid off £29,418.62 and on Friday he was brought before Bolton Magistrates’ Court and told that his failure to meet the order has cost him additional money and time in jail.
A default sentence of 1,113 days has been invoked in respect of the unpaid amount of £257,599.66 which now includes £16,916.10 in accrued interest, equivalent to £52.75 a day.
This sentence has been added to his original prison term of seven years, of which he has currently served three years. Moss was due to be released from prison at the end of July but now faces the prospect of a further three years behind bars unless he pays up.
Det Con Anita Fishwick, of Lancashire's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “"This case shows you can't commit crime and expect to keep the proceeds if you get caught. Despite having paid off a part of the outstanding confiscation order, the amount he now owes has increased with interest.
“This sends out a clear message that we will target any profit from criminality and when a confiscation hearing is made, it is enforced.
“The Proceeds of Crime legislation is a powerful policing tool and taken very seriously by Lancashire Police. Anyone looking to fund their lifestyle from crime should take note.”
John Dilworth, Head of the Complex Casework Unit at the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The CPS in Lancashire is determined to work alongside police investigators to make sure that criminals do not keep any financial benefit from their crimes. They should be in no doubt that we will follow confiscation cases through the courts and ask the court to impose any additional sentence that has been set for non-payment.”
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