A money launderer from Aberdeen was stopped on the A90 and caught with £200,000 of banknotes stuffed in an Asda bag for life inside his car boot.
Edward Chesser was pulled over by the police between Dundee and Perth before officers discovered the wads of cash.
They had suspected the already convicted dirty money handler of being involved in the supply of cocaine, and found wraps of the Class A drug worth more than £300.
Chesser was previously locked up a decade ago when £23,000 raised through a mobile phone share scam passed through his bank account.
The 57-year-old, who was caught on a Saturday, returned to Dundee Sheriff Court wearing a Weekend Offender jacket.
He was jailed by a sheriff who told him there was no “Miami Vice situation” behind his offending.
Chesser’s lawyer said his client ‘could be victimised into this offence’
The court had heard that Police Scotland pulled over the unemployed offender while he was driving his white MG near the village of Inchture on November 4 2023.
In the previous few weeks, the force had received intelligence that he was concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.
At 1.30pm, police searched the vehicle that Chesser and his partner, who is 27 years younger than him, were travelling in.
They recovered six wraps of white powder that tests confirmed were 2.48g of cocaine worth £340.
In the car boot, the police found a Sports Direct bag containing an Asda bag for life.
Inside that were two taped packages, which officers realised were bundles of cash.
The authorities confiscated a total of £207,270 on the spot.
Chesser gave officers a “no comment” interview when questioned about the money, but insisted it had nothing to do with his partner.
At an earlier hearing, Chesser, of Sheddocksley Drive in Aberdeen, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and acquiring and possessing criminal property on the A90.
Chesser’s partner, a 30-year-old man from Inverness, and a 39-year-old HMP Perth inmate had not guilty pleas in relation to their various roles in the offences accepted.
Sentencing was deferred for Chesser to be interviewed by social workers.
He returned to the dock, aided by a walking stick.
His solicitor Jim Caird said: “He does suffer from very serious health problems and is quite significantly disabled.
“He is a vulnerable person and is the sort of person who could be victimised into this sort of offence.
“He does appear before your lordship as a very frightened individual.”
Chesser was ‘tempted’ by ‘easy money’
Sheriff George Way jailed Chesser for 18 months altogether, 16 of which were for the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 charge.
The sheriff said: “We’re dealing with £200,000. That is considerable. The movement of cash is crucial to the way the movement of drugs functions.
“The truth of the matter is, and it’s quite clear from the reports, that Mr Chesser was tempted.
“It was easy money. Nobody was suggesting he was in some Miami Vice situation. He thought it’s relatively risk-free.
“The fact remains, it was over £200,000. He can’t possibly expect the court will deal with that by anything other than a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Way added: “Just because you find couriers who have a certain set of circumstances, we’re not going to send out a message that, ‘Find those people and they’ll be dealt with in the community’.
“When you combine the two, the drugs and the cash, he would be looking well north of three years.
“I’m perfectly willing to take a view on that. The sentence will not be of that size.
“It is a significant amount of money. It’s the kind of sums that would continue to facilitate the purchase of illicit drugs or fund lifestyles of those who deal in illicit drugs.”
Chesser was jailed in 2015 for his role in a phone scam
In 2015, Chesser was jailed for 15 months for laundering money from a phone scam and was made subject to a confiscation order at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The court heard £23,000 was transferred into his account between March 24 and May 6 2011, as part of a wider fraudulent scheme.
Victims were contacted by scammers and asked to transfer funds in exchange for shares over the phone.
Once the transaction was completed, the shares never materialised.
The money was moved into Chesser’s account and then transferred to unidentified crooks.
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