Two men jailed over £8.5m teeth whitening and VAT fraud
Ian Barnes and Alastair Ramage have been jailed for fraud offences linked to an £8.5 million tax and teeth-whitening scam. They knowingly sold products containing dangerously high levels of hydrogen peroxide while failing to pay VAT, and used the proceeds to fund lavish spending.
The pair were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a combined eight years and ten months: Barnes received four years and four months, and Ramage four years and six months. HMRC found they laundered more than £8.5 million through 118 bank accounts, credit cards and cryptocurrency platforms, including over £3.4 million through an account at a Puerto Rico bank. Messages showed they knew the products could harm customers and feared prison if caught; their spending included £100,000 on holidays and plans for neighbouring Florida villas with tooth-shaped pools.
In short
- Two men received almost nine years in total for fraud.
- They knowingly sold teeth-whitening products with dangerous peroxide levels.
- HMRC traced more than £8.5 million through 118 accounts and platforms.
Explained simply
VAT is a tax businesses usually add to the price of goods and pay to the government. Teeth-whitening products also face safety rules: in the UK, products with higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can only be supplied by dental professionals.
HMRC investigates tax fraud and can work with other authorities to trace money and gather evidence. Bank accounts, credit cards and cryptocurrency platforms can all be used to move or conceal the proceeds of crime, making financial records important in fraud investigations.
The case concerns alleged links between unpaid tax, unsafe consumer products and the handling of money from their sale. It matters because rules on tax and product safety are intended to protect public funds and customers.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Two men jailed over £8.5million teeth whitening scam: Tax dodgers used stolen money to fund their lavish lifestyle and planned to build matching swimming pools shaped like TEETH”.