Former Mayor of Shifnal told to pay £20k or face jail
A former Mayor of Shifnal has been ordered to pay £20,000 within six months or face going to prison after selling fake film and computer game posters which bagged him thousands of pounds.
Proceeds of Crime proceedings were started against Mark Mountford after he admitted 13 charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994 connected with a poster business he ran from home.
At a sentencing hearing in May he was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
Mountford, aged 47, benefited to the sum of nearly £50,000, but during a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court he was told to pay back £20,000 as that was the amount of assets available for confiscation.
He has also been ordered to pay costs, which come to a further £5,422, over 12 months.Mountford, of Maple Close, Shifnal, ran an online business producing and selling illegal, counterfeit copies of film and computer game posters.
Public protection officers were made aware of his business by a legitimate, authorised producer of film posters.
Officers made test purchases from Mountford and executed an entry warrant at his home in May last year, where they found a collection of fake film posters and equipment set up to mass produce posters bearing the trade marks of major film studios.
He resigned from the council last month.
Frances Darling, Shropshire Council's public protection service manager for safer and stronger communities, said: "This is the first occasion Shropshire Council has used the Proceeds of Crime Act to confiscate the assets of a trader who has been supplying illegal goods. I am very pleased with the outcome of this case.
"Our officer in charge worked closely with an accredited financial investigator to ensure we followed the correct procedures throughout and ultimately secured the confiscation order.
The result overall, taking into account the costs awarded, means Mountford must now pay in excess of £25,000, in addition to undertaking 120 hours of unpaid work. The Proceeds of Crime Act is an effective tool when tackling crime and the consequences for defendants can be significant. The decision to institute confiscation proceedings in this case was not taken lightly."
