Drug money launderer given six years in jail

Thursday 25 August 2016

An IT consultant has been jailed for six years after admitting money laundering following a five-year police investigation named Operation Blackwood.

The Royal Court yesterday heard that Stephen Goodwin, of St Saviours Road, St Helier, spent nearly £300,000 on himself and his family and double that amount was deposited into his numerous bank accounts from the proceeds of drugs trafficking.

Goodwin, 51, was also handed a confiscation order of £214,000 from the proceeds of his money laundering, but that figure could rise up to £326,000. Included in that order will be two luxury watches Goodwin bought for himself and his wife which cost £9,000 in total. 

After sentencing, Detective Inspector Mark Coxshall said: “Those who seek to launder illicit funds through Jersey expect the full weight of the law and the criminal justice system to come down hard. Obtaining funds through criminality and then seeking to legitimise those funds, simply further endorses the criminal mind of Goodwin.”

A police statement added: “Operation Blackwood, led by officers from the Joint Financial Crimes Unit, involved Goodwin actively avoiding legitimate routes to transfer money into Jersey. He deliberately sought to remain under the radar. Using the proceeds of crime, Goodwin has lived a lifestyle beyond his means and attempted to deliberately mislead officers.” 

Crown Advocate David Hopwood told the court in 2011 cash packages intercepted by Jersey Customs and Immigration Services triggered an investigation in Goodwin’s finances. 

Mr Hopwood said: “That initial package contained a total of 24,000 Euros in cash and the money was seized. 

“Another package arrived three days later containing 2,885 Euros in cash and the funds were also seized.

“Between 2008 and 2015 he operated a total of 14 bank accounts in his own name, held 15 credit cards, seven pre-paid Euro credit cards and a Premium Bond account. 

“During the relevant period 2006 to 2011 the defendant deposited a total of £596,893 in cash into his accounts.”

When arrested in July 2012 nearly £1,000 in cash was seized and when analysed later was found to be contaminated with the controlled drug MDMA, or ecstasy. 

Another arrest in July 2015 was followed by a further search and £860 in cash was found. This too was analysed and found to be contaminated by the same drug. 

Goodwin was arrested again in September 2015 and told officers during an interview that the cash had come from ‘high stakes’ poker that he played in Europe and Jersey. 

Defending Advocate Julian Gollop said Goodwin was a “law abiding, family man” who had got into financial difficulty after losing his job in 2003. 

Mr Gollop said: “He started his own IT business in 2004 but work was intermittent and this had an effect on his health and finances. 

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing but he then made a gross error of judgement. It started as a favour for a friend who could not open a bank account so he opened one. This escalated out of all shape and size. The demands made on him became greater and greater. He realised all was not what it should have been. 

“He questioned what was it for and asked his friend. The replay was, what do you think? He was threatened and told illegal drugs would be sent to his house and the police notified. That was not the only threat. His car was tampered with and two heavies made it clear to him that if he did not continue there would be violence to him and his family. He foolishly decided to continue doing what he had been doing. 

“The loss of employment, financial difficulties and depression was compounded by threats.

“He has expressed remorse for his behaviour. He never handled any drugs and was shocked to find the MDMA on the two bundles of cash that were found. The only rationale is that they were contaminated.

“He has no previous convictions and is a man of good character. He is a law abiding, hard-working family man. He has let down his wife and children and the trauma for them is not over. He intends to come out of prison a better man and will become a law abiding citizen again in Jersey.”     

Bailiff William Bailhache sentenced Goodwin  to six years in jail for money laundering and one year for perverting the course of justice, to run concurrently, meaning he would spend six years in total in jail.