Co. Galway pair jailed over counterfeit cash scam across England as warrant issued for third man
Patrick Ward, 22, of Coole Park, Galway, and Jason Ward, 19, of Radharc Na Freine, Galway, have been jailed for 30 months and 28 months rerspectively.
The latter will serve his sentence in a young offender institution.
Meanwhile, a warrant has been issued for a third man from Galway who failed to appear in court.
"The defendants came to the UK from Ireland with a view to using fake cash to fund their lifestyles, and it is right that they have been successfully prosecuted for their offending," said Detective Sergeant Craig Twycross from West Yorkshire Police.
The two men were arrested on January 21, 2025 after officers stopped a car in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
Inside the vehicle, officers found items that had been bought from various stores in Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield and Chesterfield using counterfeit Scottish bank notes.
As part of a scam, items bought with the fake money were then returned to other store branches and refunded with genuine cash. Warrant
Further offences linked to the group were identified in the Thames Valley, West Midlands, West Mercia, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire police force areas.
Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to have custody or control of a thing knowing it was a counterfeit currency note, passing counterfeit currency and converting criminal property.
They were sentenced on Friday, May 23 at Leeds Crown Court.
A third man, 19-year-old William Browne of St Finbars Terrace, Galway, was also charged but failed to appear at court and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
"This was a complex investigation which has prevented fake notes circulating around the country and leaving businesses with worthless cash," said DS Twycross.
He added: "I want to urge retailers to be vigilant and take the time to check notes thoroughly.
"Anyone who notices incidents involving these fake Scottish notes should report them to your local police force."
See More: Galway, Wakefield, Yorkshire
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Alex Salmond's family say ‘cruel' and ‘distasteful' Nicola Sturgeon is cashing in on smears made against him
Christina Hendry, who is the late former Scottish first minister's niece, said the claims Ms Sturgeon made about Mr Salmond in her newly published book were 'cruel' and 'distasteful'. Ms Sturgeon, a former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), used the memoir, Frankly, to allege that Salmond could have been behind a leak to a tabloid newspaper that he was under investigation for sexual misconduct. She argued that the 2018 leak, which revealed the Scottish government's investigation into the claims, would have been 'classic Alex' as it would have allowed him to control the media narrative and 'cast himself as the victim of underhand dealing'. Pouring scorn on his claim that there was a conspiracy to imprison him, she said it was 'a fabrication, the invention of a man who wasn't prepared to reflect honestly on his own conduct'. Ms Sturgeon said the alleged conspirators were 'women who considered themselves victims of his behaviour' and were 'seeking support and comfort from each other'. She accused Salmond of trying to 'distort and weaponise' genuine shock or trauma in a way that was 'truly disgraceful', adding 'it strikes at the heart of why I find it so hard to forgive him'. Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 sexual assault charges in a separate criminal trial in 2020, but his lawyer admitted his client could 'have been a better man'. Among the book's other claims were that Mr Salmond had not bothered to read the White Paper on independence produced for the 2014 referendum, which was the prospectus for Scotland leaving the UK. Ms Hendry accused Ms Sturgeon of 'cowardice', saying she would not have made the claims while her uncle was still alive and argued 'she is using his name for relevance, to promote her book, to earn money'. The 30-year-old also attacked Ms Sturgeon for having 'such disregard for the family and their feelings', including the impact on Moira, Mr Salmond's widow. Mr Salmond's family broke their silence on the memoir as it emerged Ms Salmond is 'reactivating' legal action against the SNP government, which was first taken by Mr Salmond before he died aged 69 last October. The Sunday Mail reported that a KC, two junior counsel and a lead investigator have been appointed in the case, which centres on the Scottish government's botched investigation into sexual misconduct claims against him. Mr Salmond alleged there was a conspiracy among senior SNP figures around Nicola Sturgeon to imprison him, which she has vigorously denied. At the time of his death the former first minister was seeking 'significant damages' and compensation for loss of earnings from the Scottish government, totalling a reported £3m. A family friend told the Sunday Mail: 'Her case against the Scottish government is now live, the legal team is in place, the finance in place and this will be going ahead, no question of that. Alex may not be here to defend himself, but his family are determined to stand up to those who continue to attack him.' Ms Hendry told the Scottish Sun on Sunday: 'She [Ms Salmond] should not have to be going through this and neither should any of the family. I find it very distasteful. In some ways it is quite cruel. 'She [Ms Sturgeon] is using his name for relevance, to promote her book, to earn money − she could have said these things in the past few years. 'She has chosen to wait until he is no longer here to defend himself. It's left to the family to deal with this and there's an element of cowardice to that.' Asked if she believed Ms Sturgeon was cashing in on her fallout with her uncle, Ms Hendry said: 'Yes. I can't see any other reason. It seems quite a coincidence that the time she is saying this is the time she is selling her book.' Mr Salmond won a judicial review in 2019 after a previous court case found that the way the Scottish government investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against him was handled was unlawful and 'tainted with apparent bias'. The Scottish government only conceded the case at the 11th hour, resulting in Mr Salmond being handed £512,250 of taxpayers' money to cover his legal costs.
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Man who faked death by claiming to be Irish orphan found guilty of rape
Under investigation for rape and credit card fraud, the man known in the US as Nicholas Rossi, faked his own death in 2020. A man who was accused of faking his own death by claiming to be an Irish orphan has been found guilty of rape in the United States. The man known in the US as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. He had fled to Scotland to escape justice but was extradited back to the US in January 2024 after a lengthy case in the Scottish courts. Rossi had denied all charges in the case relating to the Salt Lake County attack and it took the jurors of four men and four women more than eight hours to reach their verdict. He still faces another trial for an alleged rape in Utah County, which is scheduled for September. According to the BBC, Rossi, who had previously been joking with his legal team, showed no emotion as the verdict was read out. Nicholas Rossi News in 90 Seconds - August 14th The court had heard from the woman Rossi raped in Salt Lake County - referred to as MS, how they initially met online. They had begun dating and were engaged after two weeks but Rossi's behaviour soon changed, she said. He became controlling, borrowed money from her, would not let her drive her own car and criticised her clothing. When the woman tried to end the relationship, Rossi pushed her on the bed at his apartment and raped her. The defence claimed MS was resentful after losing money on the engagement rings. They argued that she only spoke of the rape allegation after seeing Rossi in the news 13 years later. The court then heard from the woman Rossi is accused of raping at his apartment in Orem, Utah County. Appearing as a witness in the current case, the woman, referred to as KP said she met Rossi on social networking site MySpace in August 2008, when she was 21. They began a short relationship but soon found out he had used her credit card details without permission to buy a computer. After the relationship ended, he admitted he did not have the money to pay her back. He then began performing a sex act on himself and when she tried to leave, Rossi pulled her clothing down before raping her. Nicholas Rossi leaving Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court Under investigation for rape and credit card fraud, he faked his own death in 2020 and fled the US in attempt to escape justice. Authorities suspected he was somewhere in the UK. That same year, Rossi married his wife Miranda in Bristol. He came to the attention of authorities when he was identified at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow in December 2021 while being treated for Covid-19 under the name Arthur Knight. He created this alias under the guise of being 'an Irish orphan' before his true identity was uncovered by police. He was arrested after being identified by his distinctive tattoos as a person the US authorities wanted to extradite, but claimed this was a case of mistaken identity. Months of court proceedings in Edinburgh followed but in November 2022, Sheriff Norman McFadyen determined the man claiming to be Knight was indeed Rossi. An extradition hearing took place in June 2023, with Sheriff McFadyen ruling there was no barrier to Rossi's extradition. In his Scottish hearings, Rossi would appear in a wheelchair and sometimes with an oxygen mask. An extradition warrant was signed in September 2023 and Rossi was finally sent to the US in January 2024. Prosecutors in the US say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. An obituary published online claimed he died on February 29 2020 of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. A year later, hospital staff in Scotland recognised his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. 'This case is like an old puzzle from the thrift store,' said MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's lawyers. 'It's 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture.' Prosecutors pushed back, saying that if any 'puzzle pieces' are missing, it is because Rossi's lawyers fought to have some evidence dismissed.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Man, 50, killed in drive-by shooting outside petrol station as cops release CCTV in hunt for car ‘with false plates'
The vehicle being hunted has a distinct feature on its frontage FATAL SHOOTING Man, 50, killed in drive-by shooting outside petrol station as cops release CCTV in hunt for car 'with false plates' A MAN has died after being injured in a late-night drive-by shooting close to a petrol station. Police rushed to the scene in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, shortly before 10pm last night after receiving reports of a man being seriously injured after being shot close to a BP petrol station. The victim - believed to be a 50-year-old man living in the local area - was quickly taken to hospital but tragically died there from his injuries. His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers, police said. Cops have now opened a murder investigation and are hunting the car it believes was involved in the shooting. West Yorkshire Police released fresh CCTV images today of the vehicle, which is understood to have been stolen in a burglary in the nearby town of Castleford on August 3. The Toyota RAV4 is described by officers as being "bluey grey-coloured with a grey trim". Cops added that it was displaying a cloned numberplate (FV53 FXT) in the footage but warned it could now be driving with different plates. Setting it apart from other vehicles, the motor believed to be used in the shooting has distinctive bull lights on its roof, above the windshield. Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: "A man has lost his life, and it is an absolute priority for us to understand the circumstances of what has taken place and identify anyone who has had any involvement in this incident. "We understand that the vehicle used in this offence was on false plates and was stolen in a burglary in Castleford on 3 August. "The vehicle is particularly distinctive because of the bull lights fitted to the vehicle." DCI Entwistle added: "We are interested in speaking to anyone who believes they have seen this RAV4 following this burglary, around the time of this offence and since. "The vehicle may now be displaying different plates. 'Motorists who were in the Doncaster Road area last night who have dashcams fitted are also asked to check whether they have captured any footage of this vehicle. "The driver was driving in the direction of Wakefield before they have turned around near the BP petrol station immediately prior to the shooting and then driven off in the direction they came from. 'We understand the shock and concern that an incident of this nature will cause, particularly given that a firearm has been involved. "We are dedicating significant resources to this investigation and our neighbourhood policing colleagues are supporting this with an increased presence in the area to provide reassurance to the community.' If you have seen this vehicle, witnessed the attack, or have any information which could help police, contact the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team via Live Chat or by calling 101, quoting Operation Ploughland. Information, including footage, can be provided through the Major Incident Public Portal here. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
