Big thrill for erection pill dealers who pay back just ten per cent of the money they made

A gang of fraudsters who made more than £10 million from a massive counterfeit Viagra ring will have to pay back just £107,000, a court heard.

Mark Bristow, 46, and Kristina Sofoulakis, 27, were jailed last year for their roles in the plot which offered cheap erectile dysfunction pills online customers around the world.

The scam lasted eight years from 2004 and continued even after a gang led by Neil Gilbert, 43, was arrested on 20 September 2011 following an investigation by the drugs regulatory body, MHRA.

They used a series of ‘front’ companies claiming to sell jewellery, fishing tackle and cosmetics to accept the electronic payments and laundered the proceeds through more than 100 bank accounts both in the UK and offshore.

Prosecutor Gillian Jones said the proceeds of the supply of the drugs totalled more than £10 million.

Bristow acted as the middle man between the northern and southern parts of the enterprise, liaising directly with Gilbert and raking in £439,459.25 in profit.

He was jailed for four years in May last year.

Sofoulakis, who was jailed for two and a half years, earned £200,837.31 from the fraud, acting as a a book keeper monitoring orders and payments.

She sat impassively in the dock at the wearing a green top and black leggings as the Old Bailey heard she will pay back less than one percent of the money by 29 June.

‘In the case of Kristina Sofoulakis I have found that she benefited from general criminal conduct and had a criminal lifestyle under the meaning of section 75 [of the Proceeds of Crime Act],’ said Judge Charles Wide QC.

‘I find that she benefitted to the sum of £200,837.31 and the available amount is £1,284.25.’

Bristow listened alongside Sofoulakis as the court was told he will pay back £48,900 by 19 August, a little over ten percent of his profits.

Judge Wide said: ‘In the case of Mark Bristrow by agreement I find that he benefitted from criminal conduct and has a criminal lifestyle under the meaning of section 75.

‘I find that he has benefitted in the sum of £439,459.25 and that the available amount is £48,900.’

Huge sums of money were transferred between the conspirators, sent offshore or, were withdrawn in cash in the UK or abroad.

One group based in southern England was headed by Gilbert, who raked in up to £60,000 a week selling unlicensed and counterfeit drugs to unwitting customers.

His confiscation hearing is listed for 15 July but lawyers are yet to agree how much he will have to pay back.

Further confiscation orders have been made to reclaim £57,211 from four more of the fraudsters – a figure dwarfed by the £2,065,785 they made in profit.

Seth Pennington, 43, must pay £1,295 after benefiting from £1,131,618.44 by acting as Gilbert’s right-hand man, carrying out the day-to-day operations under the directions of his boss.

Sarah Laverick, 27, must pay £5,209.63 of the £517,970.51 she made by setting up a fake fishing tackle company to help with buying medicines and laundering money through numerous bank accounts.

Hugh Adair, 38, was ordered to hand over just £820.52 after a £326,197 windfall from facilitating payment for the purchase of medicines.

Lee Pettit, 37, will pay back £49,887.16 of the £90,000 he made by opening bank accounts for the group to launder money through.

The scammers were sentenced in April 2015.

Gilbert, of [6] Wanderdown Close, Ovingdean, Brighton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines, two counts of money laundering, possession of counterfeit Valium and possession of counterfeit Viagra. He was jailed for six years.

Pennington, of [124] Hartington Road, Brighton, admitted conspiracy to sell or supply unlicensed medicines, selling or distributing counterfeit goods (Viagra), two counts of money laundering, one of possession of counterfeit goods purporting to be Valium and one count of possession of a medicinal product (Kamagra) without marketing authorisation. He was jailed for five years.

Adair, of the same address, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines and fraud. He was sentenced to 12-months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work.

Laverick, of the same address, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering and was handed a 16-month jail term, which was also suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work.

Bristow, of [34] Lower Station Road, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply unlicensed medicines, selling or distributing counterfeit Viagra and money laundering. He was jailed for four years.

Sofoulakis, of [6] Wanderdown Close, Ovingdean, Brighton, admitted conspiracy to supply medicines and money laundering in the UK and offshore and was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Pettit, of (7) Haybourne Close, Brighton, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply and two counts of fraud and was sentenced to 22 weeks, also suspended for a year.
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