Trading standards team secures £495k confiscation order against DVD seller

A man jailed for importing counterfeit DVDs from China has been ordered to pay £495,000 under a confiscation order obtained by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards.

Trevor Pegg, 61 of Courtlands Drive in Epsom, was jailed for three years in January after being convicted on 13 counts the previous month.

According to Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, these included running a fraudulent business and money laundering in addition to importing and supplying counterfeit DVDs.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Guildford Crown Court earlier this month was told that Pegg had benefited by £593,000 from his criminal activity.

Judge Robert Fraser issued a confiscation order for £495,000, which Pegg must pay back within six months or face an additional three-and-a-half years in prison.

Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards will receive £185,000, which is said would be reinvested in protecting consumers. The rest is to go to the Home Office.

Mandy Poole, Assistant Head of Trading Standards, said: “Unfortunately, counterfeit goods are still available on the internet and this case highlights how scammers try to dupe unsuspecting internet shoppers out of their hard-earned cash.”