Ex-footballer James Vaughan fled. It was after his brother-in-law’s £10M EncroChat money laundering scheme was revealed.
James fled to Spain after an arrest related to his brother-in-law’s scheme. The scheme laundered £10 million using EncroChat. As a result, he was sentenced on February 3rd with five others.
Timmy Donovan, his brother-in-law, led the plot and used EncroChat to manage money. James prepared cash bundles for couriers, known as Boris and Theresa.
Police accessed EncroChat messages, which allowed them to track the cash and people involved. Consequently, police raided the Wavertree Car Centre and arrested the six defendants.
Police found cash at James’ house, along with Rolex and Bulgari watches. Following this discovery, he fled to Spain but was caught and sent back to the UK in March 2024.
James used to play football for Tranmere Rovers and Chester City FC. His dad owned Chester City, and his brother also played there.
Unfortunately, James’ brother also got involved in crime through Timmy Donovan. Donovan killed a police officer in 2014, while the officer was off-duty.
Donovan and another man taunted the officer before attacking him. Then James’ brother helped Donovan escape by letting him use his Mercedes.
The judge criticized James’ brother for not telling Donovan to surrender. Ultimately, Donovan was jailed for nearly seven years, and James’ brother received 15 months.
Donovan was released in 2018 and quickly returned to crime. He used EncroChat to send messages, while James played a key role in the scheme.
James collected, stored, and counted cash. Afterward, he passed it to couriers Kenneth Kean and Paul Duncan, who gave the money to Christopher Roper. Additionally, Arron O’Sullivan helped with money and debt collection.
The court heard James was a first-time offender. His lawyer stated he felt genuine remorse, had taken courses in prison, and had helped prevent self-harm.
The judge characterized it as an EncroChat case, where users thought messages were secure and openly discussed their crimes. This led to people using the system for criminal networking.
James received over four years in prison, while Donovan got 14 and a half years. This difference reflects Donovan’s bigger role and another drugs conviction.