Crime boss to lose all his criminal profits
17th August 2011
A drugs baron, whose wife helped him launder his dirty cash, will lose his family home if he doesn’t hand over almost half a million pounds in criminal profits.
His Honour Judge Wood, in Newcastle Crown Court, ruled that assets belonging to Brian Ferguson from Sunderland had benefited from crime and granted SOCA a Confiscation Order for £441,915.
If Ferguson fails to meet the Order, he will face a further four years in prison and the assets to be confiscated will include:
- The seven bedroom family home in Sunderland
- A house and a shop in Sunderland
- Land and buildings in Dalton Le Dale
- Contents of a number of bank accounts
- High value jewellery including Gucci and Cartier watches
- Grand piano with provenance to Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics
Brian Christopher Ferguson, 47, and his 31-year-old wife were arrested in February 2008 with almost £2.5m worth of amphetamines and cannabis. In subsequent searches of their home SOCA seized CCTV footage, drug wrappings, £8,000 cash and a money counting machine in a secret room hidden behind a wooden panel.
The footage from the Fergusons’ personal security system showed Brian Ferguson, in his garden, attempting to dispose of evidence by burning boxes filled with drugs.
Ferguson pleaded guilty to two drugs charges in December 2009. The following year Katie Ferguson was found guilty of money laundering after a number of properties, which were derived from criminality, were transferred into her name.
A Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) was granted to restrict Ferguson’s financial and business activities for five years. This will come into effect on his release from prison.
SOCA’s Gerry Smyth said: “This should be a hard lesson to criminals. Attempting to hide assets behind a family member does not put it beyond reach. Katie Ferguson played an important role in attempting to conceal the profits of her husband’s drug dealing from the authorities. Now it’s time to pay it back.”