Stolen machinery gang sentenced

Three people have been jailed, with four more given suspended sentences, for their parts in the handling and sale of in excess of £1m worth of stolen machinery.

A total of 46 plant machines were stolen mainly from across the North West between 2015 and 2018, and were then sold on to a gang who operated out of an industrial unit in Nelson, where the stolen goods were modified to hide their original identification numbers.

The gang in Nelson then sold the machines on to buyers across Europe, and in some cases as far away as Australia.

The machines were valued between £8,000 and £105,000 each, with the total value thought to be approximately £1.3m.

Those who went on to purchase the machines believed they were buying from legitimate businesses and only became aware they had bought stolen goods when the equipment was seized as part of the police investigation.

Two buyers lost multiples machines each and in victim impact statements described how they suffered significant financial losses and anxiety about the loss of their professional reputations.

The members of the gang each played different roles, but all appeared at Preston Crown Court today (March 7th) to be sentenced. They are:

• Max Wynn, 34, of Plymouth Grove, Wigan – eight and a half years in prison

• Karl Langley, 44, of Nelson Road, Burnley – two years in prison, suspended for 18 months

• Alex Grice, 33, of Brunshaw Road, Burnley – five years and 11 months in prison

• Richard Wynn, 47, of Ravenoak Lane, Burnley – eight and a half years in prison

• Craig Douglas, 41, of ADDRESS – 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months

• Gavin Mellor, 53, of Hope Street, Burnley – two years in prison, suspended for 18 months

• Ian Mellor, 72, of Clwyd Street, Ruthin – 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months

The investigation was launched after a victim, who had a digger stolen from him, noticed that an identical vehicle was being sold from the unit in Nelson. Officers attended the unit and although the digger had been moved on, they found Max Wynn and Alex Grice in the act of cloning another stolen machine.

The stolen digger was later tracked down with another two stolen vehicles in the Clayton le Moors area.

Max Wynn

The court heard that Max Wynn was the “driving force” behind the operation. He was the director of the company that bought and sold on the stolen machines and his name was on the lease of the industrial unit in Nelson. This is where the work was carried out to get rid of any identification numbers on the stolen machines.

In total he is believed to be connected to the handling and sale of all 46 machines.

The money from the sales was then laundered, being transferred to his friends, family and associates. He also spent some of it on himself and used it to buy further stolen items.

Paperwork revealed that he charged all of his customers VAT but never submitted a tax return, instead pocketing the extra money himself.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the counts put to him, but on November 16th 2022 admitted conspiracy to handle stolen goods, entering a money laundering arrangements and converting criminal property.

Karl Langley

Karl Langley was closely connected to Max Wynn, as shown by phone records and his frequent visits to the industrial unit in Nelson. The value of machines he is thought to have been involved with totals £50,000

On November 22nd he pleaded guilty to three counts of handling stolen goods.

Alex Grice

Alex Grice had a variety of roles in the conspiracy and was a highly-trusted employee of Max Wynn. He received a fee or commission for every machine he helped to hide the identity of.

On November 16th he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

Richard Wynn

Richard Wynn is the brother of Max Wynn and was frequently hands-on with the operation, transporting and delivering machines to customers. He sometimes dealt with prospective purchasers and helped facilitate the money laundering part of the operation.

In November he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods but was found guilty at trial on December 13th 2022.

Craig Douglas

Craig Douglas was a “handler” for the sale of one specific machine, valued at around £80,000. He carried out work on it to try and make the sale appear more legitimate, by removing livery from it and replacing it with his own.

In November 2022 he pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods.

Gavin Mellor

Gavin Mellor assisted Max Wynn with the purchase of companies which were used to make the sale of machines appear more legitimate.

The money laundering aspect of the operation was described in court as being “sophisticated”, with significant planning, with the laundering conducted over a long period of time.

Gavin pleaded not guilty to the counts put to him, but in November pleaded guilty to entering into a money laundering arrangement.

Ian Mellor

Ian Mellor, the father of Gavin Mellor, also laundered money from stolen machines with the express purpose of giving large amounts of cash back to Max Wynn.

It is clear that Ian was aware of the purpose of the operation from the outset, given that his online banking payment references contained the identity of stolen machines.

He also laundered money through a convoluted layer of ‘shell’ companies. Whilst the companies he used appeared legitimate, they carried out no or minimal trade, whilst providing an excellent cover for the laundering process.

One of the men who bought several of the stolen machines, believing he was buying from a legitimate company, said: “I have been trading in the plant/machinery business for over 20 years and my business has been built on trust and goodwill. Immediately on receiving the information from the police I have felt like my good name has been tarnished, and helpless to do anything about it.”

He added that he has been worried about financial difficulties, saying: “I have lost confidence in doing business, worrying how other businesses now view me.”

PC Neil Goodison, of Lancashire Police, said: “We linked the high-value thefts of plant machinery to Max Wynn, and our investigation then led us to the other six men, and the industrial unit in Nelson.

“In total we uncovered a conspiracy involving more than a million pounds worth of equipment, which was stolen from innocent victims and – via Max Wynn and his gang – then modified to hide its identification and sold on to further innocent victims.

“The group’s audacity was staggering, with stolen machinery sold on to unsuspecting buyers locally and as far away as Spain, Sweden and even Australia.

“We welcome these sentences and hope they serve as a warning that we take criminal activity like this very seriously. We will not stand for our rural communities being targeted in this way, leaving innocent people suffering financially and mentally. Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.