England’s Crown Prosecution Service has charged 11 individuals, including former GVC executives Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman, for offences related to the provision of gambling services in Turkey.
The alleged offences relate to GVC’s (now Entain) former Turkish facing online gambling business between 2011 and 2018, which has been under investigation by the HM Revenue & Customs tax authority for the past six years.
Ten people have been charged with offences committed between 2011 and 2018, and one person for an offence relating to the HMRC investigation.
The seven offences relate to bribery, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax, acting as a director of a company when undischarged bankrupt, and perverting the course of justice.
“Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers of HM Revenue and Customs who have carried out the investigation,” said Hannah von Dadelszen, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS. “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Richard Las, director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “This has been a complex and international investigation. These are serious charges that relate to conspiracy to defraud, bribery, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax and perverting the course of justice among others. We remind everyone that proceedings are now active and we won’t be adding anything further.”
The first hearing in this case will be heard on 6 October at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
In December 2023, Entain entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the CPS to settle the HRMC investigation into the company, paying a financial penalty plus disgorgement of profits totalling £585 million, alongside a charitable donation of £20 million and a £10 million contribution to the CPS and HMRC costs.
The eleven individuals charged are:
Kenneth Alexander – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
Richard Cooper – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
Robert Dowling – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
Lee Feldman – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
James Humberstone – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
Alexander MacAngus – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud between 2011 and 2018.
Scott Masterton – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018, Fraudulent trading 2011 -2017, Cheating the Public Revenue between 2011 to 2017, Acting as a director of a company when undischarged bankrupt between 2010 to 2017
Caroline Roe – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018, Fraudulent trading 2011 -2017, Fraudulent evasion of income tax 2012 to 2017
Raymond Smart – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
Richard Raubitschek-Smith – Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Bribe between 2011 and 2018
Robert Hoskin – Charged with Perverting the Course of Justice in February 2024