11:49 am, February 4, 2025
Six gang members have been jailed for laundering millions of pounds, following a raid at a used car dealership on Merseyside.
Car Dealer reported back in 2021 that the National Crime Agency (NCA) had recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds from Wavertree Car Centre in Liverpool as part of a special investigation, named Operation Venetic.
At that time, five men were charged in relation to suspected money laundering with a sixth defendant added later.
They have all now appeared at Manchester Crown Court, where they were yesterday (Jan 3) sentenced for their roles in the illegal scheme.
The CPS says it uncovered the operation by infiltrating EncroChat, an encrypted messaging platform, which revealed links to organised crime.
Prosecutors argued that it was evident from conversations sent on the platform that Timmy Donovan, 40, played a leading role in the operation and was involved in the supply of wholesale amounts of cocaine and heroin.
He also co-ordinated the collection, storage and laundering of the crime group’s money, the public agency said.
The offending took place between December 2019 and June 2020 – when the raid at Wavertree Car Centre took place – during which time Donovan was on licence.
He had previously been handed a six-year prison term in 2015 for the manslaughter of an off-duty police officer, PC Neil Doyle, whilst on a Christmas night out in Liverpool City Centre.
He was helped in supplying the cocaine by fellow defendant, Aaron O’Sullivan, 41. The CPS says that Donovan chased debts via O’Sullivan who arranged the collection of money through the couriers Kenneth Kean, 59, and Paul Duncan, 56.
Donovan would use his brother-in-law James Vaughan, 38, to collect, store and count money. Following his arrest, Vaughan fled to Spain, before being extradited back to the UK in March 2024.
Another key cog in the operation was car dealer Christopher Roper, 41. He was the gang member who worked at Wavertree Car Centre in Liverpool, where he stored large amounts of the criminal cash and arranged for the transfers. In return, he often received a 4.5% fee.
Car Dealer previously reported that more than £300,000 in cash was seized at the dealership when it was raided by the NCA.
Manchester Crown Court (PA Images)
Donovan and O’Sullivan were sentenced to 14 and a half years and seven and a half years imprisonment, respectively.
Meanwhile, Roper was sentenced to three years and 10 months imprisonment and Vaughan to four years and three months.
Elsewhere, both Kean and Duncan avoided immediate jail time and were handed two year sentences, suspended to two years.
Both men were also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.
Reacting to the sentences, Paula Lloyd, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: ‘Despite their efforts to evade detection, the overwhelming evidence against each defendant meant that they had little choice but to admit their involvement.
‘Together, this group attempted to launder millions of pounds made from the sale of illegal drugs and enjoy the profits from this harmful trade which ruins lives and communities.
‘The CPS worked closely and effectively with law enforcement partners to dismantle this organised crime group by building a strong case and bringing them to justice.
‘We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against the defendants to recover their ill-gotten gains.’
More than 1,000 individuals have been prosecuted so far under Operation Venetic including car dealership boss Richard Weild, who was found to be adulterating cocaine for organised crime groups across the country.
He was jailed for 20 years back in 2023, having made well over £1m through the venture.
