Two men are to stand trial accused of a series of cheque frauds that allegedly scammed thousands of pounds worth of cars, cash and dogs.
Ronald Saunders and William Stewart appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday, accused of forming a fraudulent scheme that ran for more than a year across Scotland.
The pair allegedly used stolen cheques, which had no funds in the relevant bank account to buy cars, animals and car insurance.
They are said to have spent more than £22,000 buying cars from people – before selling them to various garages in Dundee, Fife, Angus, Aberdeen and Inverness.
In some instances they are said to have sold the cars for thousands of pounds less than they spent on them.
Prosecutors further allege that on Feburary 18 and 19 last year, the pair spent a total of £2,400 buying two Chihuahua and two German Shepherd Malamut puppies at addresses in Dundee and Fife with stolen cheques.
They are further alleged to have spent £708.14 buying car insurance from a Swinton branch in Aberdeen’s King Street for a Vauxhall Meriva car they are alleged to have bought for £4,995 with a stolen cheque.
Saunders, 57, of Balmoral Gardens, Dundee, and Stewart, 54, of Perth, pleaded not guilty to a charge of obtaining money, motor vehicles, animals and car insurance by fraud.
Sheriff Alistair Brown set a trial date in May and ordered the pair to appear at a pre-trial hearing in April.