An estate agent and a solicitor have been jailed for their parts in a Midland money laundering scam for drug dealers.
The racket centred on the sale of Peter and Donna Davis's home in Bryn Arden Road, Yardley, Birmingham, after they were imprisoned for drug dealing in 2004.
The couple tried to avoid the outcome of a confiscation hearing by selling the house, bought with money from their crime, to estate agent Leslie Dennis Pattison.
He paid just #43,000 for the property - worth #150,000 - enough to pay off the balance on the mortgage, but no more than that.
Solicitor Phillip John Griffiths carried out the transaction and closed his eyes to the illegality of the deal. Yesterday, Pattison was jailed for three years and Griffiths for 15 months by Judge Marten Coates at Warwick Crown Court.
Pattison (44), of Tudor Close, Balsall Common, and Griffiths (44) of Emstrey Lodge, Shrewsbury, had denied entering into or becoming involved in a money laundering arrangement.
Pattison also denied acquiring criminal property knowing or suspecting it was the proceeds of criminal conduct, but was convicted of both charges after a two-week trail.
Griffiths was cleared of the money laundering charge but found guilty of failing to make a required disclosure to the authorities when, as a solicitor, he knew or suspected or had reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting money laundering was taking place.
Before the trial, the Davises had admitted the money laundering charge. Peter Davis (43) was jailed for three years consecutive to the 12 years he is already serving for the drugs offences, while Donna (36) was jailed for 18 months consecutive to her seven-year-sentence.
Pattison said it was just too good for him to turn down, while Griffiths said he believed Pattison was buying it for the amount remaining on the couple's mortgage.
Jailing the two men, Judge Coates told Pattison: "This transaction had dishonesty written all over it from the start, and you took your chance."
