Theft: Solicitor abused friends’ trust
A solicitor who stole thousands from friends he acted for and laundered money stolen from a grandmother has been jailed.
David Grant was found guilty of money laundering, breaching money laundering regulations and theft. He was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court to two years for the theft, 12 months for the money laundering and three months for the regulatory breach, all to run concurrently.
In 2015, the now 70-year-old was trusted by two of his friends to act as their solicitor to oversee of the sale of their business. Rather than act in a professional manner, the court said Mr Grant abused their trust and stole £95,740 from them.
The investigation also uncovered that he’d colluded with a 41-year-old man who stole £6,000 from his grandmother. Mr Grant laundered this cash through his own bank accounts.
The police said that, although the solicitor was charged in 2015, the investigation had to overcome “a number of professional and judicial challenges”.
For one, his case could not proceed heard until his criminal associate had been dealt with — who eventually pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering offences and was given a two-year suspended sentence and 160 hours community service.
DCI Ed McBryde-Wilding, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “The lengthy process undoubtedly frustrated Grant’s victims, along with the witnesses who were prepared to attend court and give evidence, so I’m glad they have finally seen justice…
“Following the money can often be a long and arduous task, but it almost always pays off.”
He said the next step would be to bring Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings against Mr Grant.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will also now investigate his actions.
