A habitual money launderer is back behind bars after police pulled him over in the Carse of Gowrie with more than £200,000 cash in a bag for life.
Edward Chesser was stopped on the A90 with wads of banknotes bundled up in the boot.
Officers suspected the already convicted dirty money handler of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, finding wraps of the Class A drug worth more than £300.
Chesser was caged a decade ago after £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 and told by a sheriff there was no “Miami Vice situation” behind his offending.
Journey intercepted
Officers pulled over unemployed Chesser’s white MG near Inchture on November 4 2023.
In the previous few weeks, officers 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 his younger – were travelling in.
They recovered six wraps of white powder which tests showed was 2.48g of cocaine worth £340.
In the boot, police found a Sports Direct bag with an Asda bag for life inside.
Inside that were two taped packages which officers found to be bundles of cash.
In total, £207,270 was recovered.
He gave police a no comment interview in relation to the money but said it was nothing to do with his partner.
Vulnerable to victimisation
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.”
Not ‘Miami Vice’
Sheriff George Way jailed Chesser for 18 months altogether, 16 of which 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.”
The sheriff said: “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.”
Previous money laundering
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 in 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 transferred into Chesser’s account and then from there was transferred on to unidentified crooks.
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