Lancashire loan shark family busted

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Communities and also in Legal

A father and son's criminal enterprises are over following guilty verdicts for running an illegal money lending business.

James Alston Senior, 74, and James Alston Junior, 45, were convicted at Preston Crown Court of illegal money lending, money laundering, and possessing criminal property from the proceeds of acting as an unlicensed bookmaker.

They will be sentenced at the end of July.

The pair were investigated and prosecuted by the England Illegal Money Lending Team, supported by the Gambling Commission.

In June 2010, a joint warrant was executed at the homes of the two men in the Ashton area of Preston. Officers from the Team seized documentation and a substantial amount of cash.

County Councillor Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council with responsibility for the Trading Standards Service, said: "Illegal money lending is a blight on our communities, causing misery for some of our most vulnerable people, and we will not tolerate it in Lancashire.

"Our officers will continue to work closely with the England Illegal Money Lending Team to crack down on this kind of activity.

"Anyone who has found themselves in trouble with an illegal money lender can get help. The law is on your side, but we need the information to catch the criminals."

Tony Quigley Head of the Illegal Money Lending Team said “Illegal lenders are a scourge on our communities.

“Motivated by greed, they draw extortionate amounts of money from vulnerable people, leaving them in financial difficulty.

“Illegal money lenders do not offer a community service and will not be tolerated.”

The Gambling Commission’s Regional Compliance Manager Alan Green said:  “Working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies is central to the Gambling Commission’s approach to keeping gambling fair and safe. “
 
Nationally the Illegal Money Lending Teams have secured over 210 prosecutions for illegal money lending and related activity, leading to 130 years’ worth of custodial sentences.

They have written off almost £40 million worth of illegal debt and helped over 18,000 victims.