A Jamaican couple who rolled in millions of pounds sterling while still accepting welfare benefits were on Tuesday convicted of money laundering in a London court.
Burnett Morris, 48, and his wife, 49-year-old Paulette – who British police say led a large-scale money laundering ring which operated between Jamaica and the UK – were found guilty of conspiracy to launder money.
The court was told that the network used associates and family members to send money to Jamaica, often £900 (J$123,000) at a time.
The cash was reportedly sent almost daily, sometimes up to five times a day.
Over a six-year period, the network reportedly transferred more than £500,000 (J$68 million) to Jamaica.
In addition, Paulette spent more than £250,000 (J$34 million) on travel to and from Jamaica and Florida and on luxury items including designer clothes, a diamond valued at £8,000 (J$1 million), and other jewellery.
But despite being awash with cash, the couple claimed welfare benefits, including housing allowance, Council Tax benefit and free school meals for two of their children. According to the British authorities, enquiries in Jamaica have shown that the Morrises own two luxurious houses on the outskirts of Kingston.
