Preston Crown Court Sentencing Results

Roy Ferguson participated in a gang that collected at least £500,000 fraudulently in supermarket bucket collections for charities including Children In Need and Mind. The fraudsters used fake identification, banners, and a Pudsey Bear outfit to solicit donations, with the majority of funds pocketed instead of being passed to the charities. The operation involved deceiving the public and shop owners through false claims of authorisation.

Stephen Chesterman acted as a bogus collector in a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 in supermarket bucket collections for charities including Mind and The Christie Charitable Fund. The group used deceptive methods such as fake banners and a Pudsey Bear outfit to solicit donations, keeping the majority for themselves and betraying public trust through false representations.

William Ormand was part of a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 in supermarket bucket collections by misrepresenting themselves as representatives for charities like Children In Need and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The group used fake IDs, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume, keeping most donations for themselves. Less than 10% of traced funds went to the charities, exploiting public goodwill through deceitful practices such as threatening shop employees.

David Levi led a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 in supermarket bucket collections across the UK by posing as representatives for charities such as Children In Need, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, The Children’s Society, The Christie Charitable Fund, and Mind. They used fake ID badges, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume to deceive donors. Less than 10% of the funds were passed to the charities, with the rest pocketed by the gang. The fraud involved setting up stalls in supermarkets under false pretences, including threats to employees if access was denied. Police raided his premises in 2017, leading to his conviction.

Howard Collins was involved in a gang that fraudulently gathered at least £500,000 through supermarket bucket collections for charities such as The Children’s Society and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The group employed deceptive tactics, including fake IDs, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume, to collect donations that were largely kept by the fraudsters rather than donated to the intended causes. The scheme undermined public trust and involved threats to secure collection permissions.

Kaysha Beck supported a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 through supermarket bucket collections for charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The fraud involved using fake IDs, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume to deceive donors, with most funds diverted away from the charities. Her role included logistical assistance in the scheme that exploited public goodwill and involved threats to secure permissions.

Martin Ebanks was a bogus collector in a gang that defrauded the public of at least £500,000 through supermarket bucket collections for charities like Children In Need. The fraud involved using fake IDs and a Pudsey Bear costume to collect donations, with most funds pocketed by the group instead of being given to the charities. The operation exploited public generosity and involved misleading shop owners.

Darren Parker, a 43-year-old finance director at Storetech Engineering Ltd in Clitheroe, embezzled £255,304.84 from the company between 2014 and 2020 by setting himself up as a 'superuser' on the online banking system. He used the funds for prostitutes, hotel rooms, foreign holidays, home improvements, and online shopping at retailers like Argos, Amazon, and River Island. The fraud was discovered in August 2020 by a colleague after unpaid invoices and suspicious early-morning payments were noticed during lockdown when Parker worked from home.

Neil Arkwright was responsible for the supply and distribution of huge quantities of drugs, with at least 10kg of cocaine and 18kg of cannabis passing through his hands, as evidenced by Encrochat. The police investigation and prosecution established his involvement in organised crime activities.

Philip Jenkinson was responsible for the supply and distribution of huge quantities of drugs, with at least 10kg of cocaine and 18kg of cannabis passing through his hands, as evidenced by Encrochat. The police investigation and prosecution established his involvement in organised crime activities.

Shayzul Miah, 31, of Accrington, operated his own dealer line for significant personal gain, supplying crack cocaine and heroin as part of the broader operation in Accrington.

Sohail Khan, 24, of Accrington, ran The Flash Line OCG, directing dealers, purchasing and selling Class A drugs, and using violence, including slashing a dealer's hand for stealing. The line operated 24/7, exploiting vulnerable children to sell drugs in Accrington.

Tyler O’Neill, 19, of Preston, served as a street dealer for The General Line OCG, distributing Class A drugs.

Thomas Edwards, 24, of Chorley, assisted in the conspiracy by managing aspects of the dealer line for The General Line OCG, contributing to the supply of Class A drugs in Accrington.

Ella Smith, 21, of Chorley, partner of Thomas Edwards, helped the conspiracy by taking phone calls to the dealer line, packaging drugs, and allowing her home to be used as a base for The General Line OCG.

David Pye, 43, of Leger Court, Accrington, ran his own dealer line for personal gain, contributing to the influx of crack cocaine and heroin in Accrington.

Amar Hussain, 30, of Accrington, headed up The General Line OCG, running a lucrative drug supply network involving heroin and crack cocaine. The line operated 24/7, receiving around 100 calls or texts per day over 170 days, generating £340,000. He bought drugs in bulk, managed phones, groomed dealers, and continued operations while on trial for an unrelated matter.

Aleem Mahmood, 19, of Accrington, acted as a street dealer for The General Line OCG, selling drugs on the streets.

Bilal Yousaf, 27, of Accrington, taxi driver who provided transport for Amar Hussain and Hmaad Bashir while they engaged in drug-dealing activities for The General Line OCG.

Bradley Ridsdale, 22, of Northumberland, was trusted to handle and retain large quantities of Class A drugs, cash, and dealer phones for The Flash Line OCG.

Brandon Wilson, 18, of Accrington, acted as a street dealer for The General Line OCG, selling drugs in Accrington.

Connor Coulburn, 26, of Bacup, was involved in various roles within The General Line OCG, including organising and dealing Class A drugs on the streets of Accrington.

Colin Cardwell, 24, of St Paul’s Court, Accrington, was trusted to handle large quantities of Class A drugs and cash for The Flash Line OCG.

Martin Jackson, 44, of no fixed address, operated his own dealer line, supplying Class A drugs as part of the criminal activities uncovered in Operation Sark.

Marban Hussain, 53, of Accrington, acted as a driver and handled large quantities of drugs and cash for The Flash Line OCG.

Hmaad Bashir, 25, of Accrington, acted as the trusted right-hand man to Amar Hussain in The General Line OCG, answering phones, directing street dealers, and supporting the 24/7 drug supply operation.

Jacob Fisher, 22, of Great Harwood, acted as a street dealer for The General Line OCG, selling drugs to customers in Accrington.

Iftikar Asghar, 49, of Wakefield, provided his home in Accrington as an operating base where large quantities of Class A drugs were stored, packaged, and sold for The Flash Line OCG.

Jake Chambers, 22, of Todmorden, operated as a street dealer for The Flash Line OCG, selling crack cocaine and heroin.

Nathan Walker, 30, of Accrington, served in roles as an organiser and street dealer for The General Line OCG, facilitating the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

Naomi Winters, 30, of no fixed address, occupied various roles in The General Line OCG, supporting the supply and distribution of Class A drugs in Accrington.

Charles Wigglesworth, 38, of Accrington, operated as a street dealer for The Flash Line OCG, distributing crack cocaine and heroin on the streets.