Conveyancer jailed for role in mortgage fraud group

Ross McKay was discovered during an investigation into the activities of an organised group who had been laundering the proceeds of their criminal enterprise, including drug-dealing, tax evasion and mortgage and property fraud.

McKay was complicit in the group’s criminal activities by providing his conveyancing services in order for the money to be laundered. Deposits were put down on houses where the true illegal source of the funds was disguised from the lenders, mortgage applications used nominees instead of the names of the legitimate purchasers, and claims about income were wildly exaggerated in order to secure the loans.

In total, McKay was responsible for the conveyancing in over 80 property transactions for several criminals, all of whom were subsequently convicted of serious criminal offences including money laundering and fraud.

Senior financial investigator Adrian Ladkin, of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “McKay was fully aware that the purpose of the transactions was to launder criminal proceeds and he was deliberately dishonest in facilitating them.

“As a solicitor, McKay was in a position of trust, but he spectacularly failed in his legal duties through his corrupt and unlawful actions.

“It is thanks to the meticulous work of the officers in this case that today he has been brought to account for his deceitful actions.”