Nigel Farage aide faces 20 years in US jail after agreeing to launder money for drug smugglers
22-year-old George Cottrell was arrested in July after striking the deal with drug smugglers who turned out to be FBI agents
A TOP aide to Nigel Farage is facing decades in a US jail after promising to launder money for drug smugglers - who turned out to be undercover FBI agents.
George Cottrell, who was arrested when he and the former Ukip leader landed at a Chicago airport in July, was denied bail as he was a considered a flight risk.
He’s been behind bars in Arizona ever since and initially denied a string of charges, but has now pleaded guilty to masterminding the scam on the “dark web” according to American media.
The 22-year-old, who’s a Lord’s nephew and is worth an estimated £250million, said in a plea agreement: “I falsely claimed that I would launder the criminal proceeds through my bank accounts for a fee. Rather than launder any of the money, though ... I intended to retain the money.”
The 2014 con began when someone identified as “the Banker” advertised money laundering services on the dark web - an encrypted form of the internet which normal users can’t access.
When undercover FBI agents contacted “the Banker”, they were directed towards Cottrell, who told them he could launder their cash through offshore accounts.
He was originally charged with 21 crimes, including blackmail charges, money laundering and fraud.
But prosecutors agreed to drop everything except one count of wire fraud in exchange for a guilty plea.
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Cottrell, who ran Nigel Farage’s office and handled his media requests, is facing up to 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine (£204,000).
His uncle is former Tory treasurer Lord Hesketh, who defected to Ukip in 2011.
Nigel Farage’s spokesman declined to comment last night.
Cottrell is due to be sentenced in March.
