NEWCASTLE, U.K. — A money launderer who helped a global fraud gang steal more than £700,000 from vulnerable elderly victims has avoided jail after providing key evidence against his associates.
Arvin Begolli, 34, from Benwell, Newcastle, admitted money laundering and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with 250 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard that between April 2018 and 2019, Begolli’s gang targeted victims in Canada and Australia, convincing them that their bank accounts had been compromised. The scammers then instructed victims to send cash, gold, and valuables to supposed detectives in the UK for “investigation.”
Begolli acted as a “postmaster”, recruiting students in Newcastle to receive parcels from victims, which he later collected and delivered to criminal contacts in London in exchange for payment.
Prosecutor Angus MacDonald said Begolli was “caught red-handed” collecting one of the fraudulent packages. In total, the gang stole £713,545 in money and goods.
Victims, some as old as 98, described the experience as devastating. One woman said it was the “worst experience of my life”, while another, battling cancer, said she had lost her life savings and faced potential bankruptcy.
Begolli cooperated with authorities, giving crucial testimony that led to convictions for three of his co-accused — one jailed for 18 months, another for five years and nine months, and a third for six years.
Judge Tim Gittins described the scam as “sophisticated” and “devastating,” noting that Begolli played a key role by distancing the victims from the main fraudsters. However, due to his cooperation, time elapsed since the crimes, and progress in addressing addiction issues, his jail sentence was suspended.
Begolli, who fled war-torn Kosovo as a child, has since turned his life around, the judge said, though his actions were “shameful.”
