An Italian father and son are being charged with forging 3.6 million first-class stamps from Britain’s Royal Mail with a total value exceeding £2.2 million (about $3.6 million Cdn.).
Ciro Gallo, 46, and his son Ivan, 20, are accused of organizing the fraud for five years – from 2013 until last November – although they deny all charges and have been granted unconditional bail.
Prosecutors believe the younger Gallo is responsible for forging the stamps, which were then used by his father. The son faces three charges of using a “false instrument” with intent for it to be accepted as genuine while the father faces two charges of custody of a false instrument with intent.
Prosecutors also accused the father of laundering more than £1.3 million in “criminal property,” which he attempted to hide in personal bank accounts with individual amounts ranging from £1,200 to more than £315,000.
The penalty for each of their 13 combined fraud accusations carries an unlimited fine or six months in prison.