Exchange Chambers barristers act in largest money-laundering trial in British criminal history

December 20, 2022

Barristers from Exchange Chambers have acted in the largest money-laundering trial in British criminal history.

During an eight-month trial, eight defendants were accused of being part of an alleged £266 million criminal enterprise.

Richard Littler KC (leader) and Julian King from Exchange Chambers, instructed by Ian Lewis at JMW Solicitors, acted for the first defendant, Gregory Frankel, 45.

The defendants were all accused of roles in an alleged criminal network, which deposited huge sums of cash in the accounts of Bradford gold dealer Fowler Oldfield between January 2014 and September 2016.  Mr Frankel was a director of Fowler Oldfield and Vice President of Stunt & Co.

It was alleged that the defendants then hid the money’s origin by washing it through the company bank account and using it to buy gold, which was shipped to Dubai.

After deliberating for more than 6 days, no guilty verdicts were returned for any of the 8 defendants.

The jury were unable to reach verdicts on the money-laundering charges against Mr Frankel, James Stunt, 40, Haroon Rashid, 51, and Daniel Rawson, 45.

Paul Miller, 45, Heidi Buckler, 45, Alexander Tulloch, 41, and Francesca Sota, 34, were found not guilty of money laundering.

Stunt and Sota was also found not guilty of forgery.

There will be a retrial on the money laundering charges next year.