We previously released an article about fraudster Chester Duncalf-Massey when he was threatening local businessman Darryl Kavanagh, you can read more about that here
The money launderer who threatened to kill a police officer investigating his £600,000 scam has been jailed for eight years.
Internet strategy consultant Chester Duncalf-Massey, 54, used his bank accounts to receive and distribute the proceeds of fraud during 2016.
Duncalf-Massey was arrested on 18 July 2023 on his return from Spain and convicted of money laundering by a jury at Southwark Crown Court.
Andrew Evans, prosecuting, said: ‘The proceeds came from business email compromised frauds and another fraud from NatWest customers, where wealthy customer monies were fully diverted.
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‘The total amount of monies that Mr Duncalf-Massey laundered, or intended to launder, and that which comprise that overarching fraud, comes to £714,762.64.
‘The actual monies … was £599,082, half of which, around £292,000 was transferred to overseas bank accounts owned by himself or his wife and spent on a luxury lifestyle.’
The conspiracy began to unravel when Duncalf-Massey turned on his fellow conspirators, claiming he was owed an additional £1.1m from the fraud.
‘Monies to the value of $1.4million it appears was also expecting to be transferred to Mr Duncalf-Massey’s bank account.
‘Not only was Duncalf-Massey expecting those additional amounts, he also believed wrongly that they had been transferred and so became aggressive believing his co-conspirator had not sent the monies as instructed and had kept them for himself.’
Duncalf-Massey, of Hessenford, Cornwall, was convicted of conspiracy to conceal criminal property.
Three alternative counts for entering into a money laundering agreement were left to lie on file.
Duncalf-Massey also admitted making a threat to kill the senior officer investigating his case on 9 June last year.
After failing to attend a court hearing that day, a bench warrant was issued for
Duncalf-Massey’s arrest.
Mr Evans told the court: ‘An email was sent to a senior investigating officer, with the subject “Southwalk”.
‘It read: “You have kids and wife. If you continue today’s Southwark court hearing then you and your kids and your wife will be priced.
“Priced is the simple term for highest bidder gets to murder you. Period. Your name & contract is now on the dark web as a contact. Good luck living in Northumberland, the price will increase as per private comments and wanted status.”’
The officer said he ‘felt sick and felt fear for the safety of his immediate family’.
Judge Dafna Spiro told Duncalf-Massey: ‘For an intelligent man, the defence you advanced was utterly fanciful.
‘You nevertheless did everything and anything you could to shift the blame on others without any degree of compunction.
‘You sought to distance yourself from the messages you sent and asserted you hadn’t sent them.
‘You were clearly directing operations. You messaged extensively with regards to the transfer of money between accounts. I find that there was significant planning.’
Of the threat to kill, Judge Spiro added: ‘It was a sinister message to send and even more so to receive.
‘It was chilling in the extreme.’
Wearing a grey shirt and tracksuit, Duncalf-Massey was jailed for eight years and disqualified from being a company director for five years.
Pensioner Clifford Hazel, 72, of Torepoul, Cornwall, was previously convicted by a jury of three counts of entering or becoming concerned in the money laundering arrangement.
He was sentenced to 12 months prison, suspended for 18 months for his involvement ‘lower down the chain’.
Ross Hollingworth, 78, of Kentish Town, northwest London, received a six-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months after he admitted also entering the money laundering agreement.