Ian Barnes and Alastair Ramage are due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon, Friday, for £8.5m of tax offences relating to the importation and sale of unsafe teeth whitening products.
The case is understood to relate to potentially dangerous teeth whitening products that breached UK safety regulations regarding levels of hydrogen peroxide. Money linked to the fraud was held in a bank account in Puerto Rico.
Lavish lifestyles funded by fraud
The exploits enabled 53-year-old Barnes, of Southport Road in Lydiate, and 44-year-old Ramage, of York Close in Formby, to live lavish lifestyles, including splurging £16,000 on one baseball cap and spending more than £100,000 with a holiday company.
The two defendants were also said to have drawn up plans to construct swimming pools in the shape of teeth.
Court hearing details
The case is listed to begin before Judge Katherine Pierpoint in courtroom 53 from 2.15pm. The ECHO is providing live updates from the hearing.
