Rotherham man jailed for laundering rogue traders' money

A Rotherham man has been jailed for a year and eight months after laundering more than £34,000 taken from victims of rogue traders.

The money was taken from people who had been cold-called at their homes, including older people living alone, and pressured into paying for unnecessary or poor-quality building work.

Michael Everton, 31, of Nightingale Croft, Rotherham, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday 23rd September, after previously pleading guilty to five counts of money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

His sentence follows those handed down last week to members of the criminal network responsible for the wider rogue trading operation across the North East, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Between 2022 and 2024, Everton received payments totalling £34,688, linked to rogue roofing and property repair work carried out at the homes of five victims in Sheffield.

Independent surveyors found the work carried out was unnecessary, incomplete, poorly performed and grossly overcharged, National Trading Standards said.

Everton's offending was uncovered by the National Trading Standards Yorkshire and Humber Regional Investigation Team, hosted by City of York Council, as part of a wider investigation into the organised crime group operating across the north of England.

Last week, 22 members of that criminal operation were sentenced at Teesside Crown Court for their roles in a £1 million roofing fraud, with twelve jailed for a combined 63 years and three months.

In one case, a woman in her 70s from Sheffield was cold-called and told repairs were needed to the front wall of her home.

Despite asking, she was not given a price before the work was carried out, and later paid £1,925 by cheque to Everton.

An independent surveyor estimated the work should only have cost around £110, plus VAT.

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, described the offences as "appalling crimes which exploited older people in their own homes, taking thousands of pounds for unnecessary, poor-quality or grossly overpriced work".

"Money laundering facilitates crimes like these by allowing criminals to move and benefit from money taken from their victims," Lord Bichard said.

"Anyone concerned that they or someone they know has been targeted by a rogue trader should contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133," he said.

Councillor Jenny Kent, from City of York Council, said "aiding criminals to profit from and hide their crimes is often as bad as committing the offence yourself, as this sentence shows".

"It also makes clear that a web of illegal activities is involved in defrauding innocent people," Cllr Kent said.

"Thanks are due to our investigators for their perseverance in securing justice, and, I hope, some kind of comfort for those defrauded," she said.