Illegal Money Lending TeamIllegal Money Lending Team

• Identify, Investigate, ProsecuteIdentify, Investigate, Prosecute• Preventative Education – targeting “at Preventative Education – targeting “at

risk” areasrisk” areas• Financial Inclusion and emotional Financial Inclusion and emotional

support for victimssupport for victims• Working to help communities move onWorking to help communities move on• Spending criminal’s money to help Spending criminal’s money to help

people not use Loan Sharks in futurepeople not use Loan Sharks in future

Abbey Hulton Play – Affinity Abbey Hulton Play – Affinity SuttonSutton

““At risk” areas of StokeAt risk” areas of Stoke• Childless tenants in social housing flats with

modest social needs – Bentilee and Ubberley, Tunstall, Blurton West and Newstead, Burslem Central, Meir North

• Older tenants on low rise social housing estates where jobs are scarce – Blurton West and Newstead, Bentilee and Ubberley, Abbey Hulton and Townsend, Meir North, Ford Green and Smallthorne

• Vulnerable young parents needing substantial state support – Meir South, Abbey Hulton and Townsend, Meir North, Bentilee and Ubberley, Bradley and Chell Heath

• Newcastle – Chesterton, Cross Heath, Knutton and Silverdale, Holditch

How we generate How we generate intelligence…..intelligence…..• TrainingTraining• Weeks/months of actionWeeks/months of action• Income and Expenditure formsIncome and Expenditure forms• PublicityPublicity• PressPress• AdvocatesAdvocates• Community awareness – playCommunity awareness – play• Through partnersThrough partners• HotlineHotline

Work done elsewhere…….Work done elsewhere…….

• School assembliesSchool assemblies• Balloons and beer matsBalloons and beer mats• Credit Union promotionCredit Union promotion• Football clubsFootball clubs• Use of dramaUse of drama• Poster competitionPoster competition• Door knocking/targeted leafletingDoor knocking/targeted leafleting• Mural/wall artMural/wall art• Ice cream vans!Ice cream vans!• Magnetic strips on vehiclesMagnetic strips on vehicles

GC – Stoke on TrentGC – Stoke on Trent 4.5 year prison sentence following an 8 day trial4.5 year prison sentence following an 8 day trial

Charges: Running an unlicensed business, money laundering, 3 x Charges: Running an unlicensed business, money laundering, 3 x blackmail, 2 x perverting the course of justiceblackmail, 2 x perverting the course of justice

• Lending to 88 people over an 18 Lending to 88 people over an 18 month periodmonth period

• Making £3,000 per week his Making £3,000 per week his business was estimated at £360,000business was estimated at £360,000

• Charged £50 interest on £100 loans Charged £50 interest on £100 loans then increased this once payments then increased this once payments started – told one client I’ll tell you started – told one client I’ll tell you when to stop payingwhen to stop paying

• well known cage fighter he told well known cage fighter he told victims victims rearrange their face”, “break rearrange their face”, “break their legs” and “chuck acid into their their legs” and “chuck acid into their face so no-one would recognise face so no-one would recognise them again”.them again”.

• Caruso told a female victim she Caruso told a female victim she should work as an escort to pay of should work as an escort to pay of the debts, telling her he could drive the debts, telling her he could drive her a long way from Stoke to do so. her a long way from Stoke to do so.

Judge Trevor said Caruso “Made money lending to vulnerable people on low incomes, aided by the absence of any records and charging very high levels of interest. He used ugly threats of violence and whilst they were never executed, his reputation and involvement with boxing and cage fighting meant the threats were taken very seriously.”

Follow up workFollow up work• Training sessions June/JulyTraining sessions June/July• Community Event Board – event in FentonCommunity Event Board – event in Fenton• Credit Union IncentiveCredit Union Incentive

• WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO AS A FOLLOW UP WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO AS A FOLLOW UP TO THIS CASE?TO THIS CASE?

• WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO GENERATE WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO GENERATE INTELLIGENCE IN STOKE AND NORTH INTELLIGENCE IN STOKE AND NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE?STAFFORDSHIRE?

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