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The Rea brothers – Major crimes in Lanarkshire – fraud – money laundering – Multi Million £ Ponzie Scheme – Glasgow City & North Lanarkshire labour Councils – Greg King Glasgow Tycoon – Imran Hussain

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14 Dec 2008: “Red Rose” Twins Arrested in Money Laundering swoop

Two boxing promoters have been arrested in a massive dirty money investigation. Twins Carlo and Mario Rea, 30, were among six men held in a Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency swoop early on Friday. The millionaire brothers were arrested at their homes shortly after 6am and charged with money laundering offences. The Lanarkshire businessmen also face charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The Reas are former friends of wanted VAT fraudster Imran “Immy” Hussain who is exiled in Dubai. Customs officers want to question Hussain in connection with a £500million carousel scam.

The twins took charge of Dalziel Park, in Motherwell, six years after it was at the centre of the Red Rose Dinner controversy. The then First Minister Jack McConnell was embarrassed when it emerged he had attended a fundraising dinner with suspected drug dealers and gangsters.The Reas Dubai-based firm Flyright bought the club from tycoon Tommy McAlroy for £2.5million.

A SDEA spokeswoman said: “Six males, between 20 and 54 years, were arrested and charged for money laundering and Misuse of Drugs Act offences. “They were released from custody and a report is being submitted to the procurator fiscal. This is part of a long-running SCDEA investigation.” (Daily Record)

18 Jul 2010: Cash probe brothers lose hotel after going bust with £2.5m debts

A Luxury hotel and country club linked to the Rea family (at the centre of a dirty money probe) has gone bust with debts of £2.5million. The Dalziel Park and Conference Centre, was forced into the hands of administrators after they failed to pay their creditors.

In 2008, Mario and twin Carlo were arrested as part of an investigation by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) into money laundering and drugs offences. It has now emerged that Mario Rea, 31, has had his assets frozen by Crown prosecutors. The hotel, in Motherwell, is set to be sold after banking bosses called in the administrators to take charge of the firm, Dalziel Assets Limited. Under the terms of the Licensing Act (Scotland) 2005 any business which goes into administration automatically loses its permanent drinks licence.

The family took charge of the hotel in 2007 after buying it for more than £2million. Banking group Santander, who provided security for the purchase, claim they are owed £2.5million from Dalziel Assets Limited. The administrators KPMG have admitted they are unlikely to recoup the money. (Daily Record)

1 Jan 2012: Dalziel Park Country Club Championship Golf Course Destroyed – Property markedly Devalued

Last week, Anthony Rea and Nadia Wright were banned by the Insolvency Service for a total of 16 years after £4million went missing from the club, which is now in administration.

Half of the 18 holes at Dalziel Park (linked to a money laundering probe) have been ripped apart and.are unplayable after thieves stripped out tons of valuable topsoil from fairways and greens – leaving an ugly lunar landscape.The systematic vandalism – using plant equipment – has been reported to police three times.

Administrator Blair Nimmo, of KPMG, has drafted in security to prevent more damage at the hotel and conference centre in Motherwell, Lanarkshire. He said: “We’ve never had anything like this before. “Usually, we wouldn’t have 24-hour security on a bit of land. “We’ve heard several rumours and are worried about damage done to any assets we control. It’s very disappointing.”

A club insider said: “Some of the damage was done last year and it’s on an industrial scale. “The members were furious. A deal was done to sell the topsoil for a football club’s new training ground but that fell through. “It was once a championship course. Now you can only play nine holes. “One theory is that whoever was responsible was trying to drive down the price that the administrators KPMG will be able to charge.” (Daily Record)

Jan 8 2012: A millionaire boxing promoter at the centre of a drugs and dirty money probe has been banned from being a company director.

Mario Rea, 33, landed the seven-year directorship ban for failing to explain where £578.4k paid into the bank accounts of property firm DMR Assets came from. Rea, who ran DMR with twin brother Carlo, also refused to reveal to Insolvency Service investigators why £776.5k was withdrawn from the firm. Of that, £637.9k was taken from the company’s accounts between November 2007 and December 2008. Another £138.6k was withdrawn from the client account of the firm’s lawyer between July 2008 and January 2009. The twins were directors of the Coatbridge-based firm, which went into administration in January 2009 with debts of £3million.

Mario Rea, previously one of the owners of the plush Dalziel Park hotel and conference centre in Motherwell, was disqualified from holding a directorship at Airdrie Sheriff Court last month. He lives in one of Scotland’s most expensive streets – Countess Gate in Bothwell, Lanarkshire. The Insolvency Service said: “We take steps to remove individuals whose conduct is not in the public interest. The disqualification means he will be banned from acting as a company director, or in any way controlling a company, until December 26, 2018.”

It was recently revealed that the Rea twins – along with four other men – had been arrested and charged with drugs and money-laundering offences by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. (Daily Record)

Mario Centre
22 September 2013: Thug Tycoon Twins Convicted of Vicious Attacks on Members of the Lyons Crime Clan

Thug tycoon brothers Mario and Carlo Rea have been found guilty of assaulting members of the Lyons crime clan.

The latest attack was in front of terrified kids at a cinema pick ‘n’ mix counter. Failed businessman Mario, 34, was accused of pulling a knife on Liam Boyle, 32, in front of terrified kids at a cinema pick ‘n’ mix counter. He admitted assault but the charge was altered to say he used a key and not a blade. He is now awaiting sentence.

Days earlier, both twins were convicted of a street attack which put another Lyons hood in hospital. Eddie Lyons Jr was severely beaten at the birthday party of Rea associate Barry Cushley in August 2011. The Rea twins were arrested for the attack, which was caught on CCTV in Coatbridge town centre.

Lyons was previously shot twice in a drugs war with the rival Daniel gang, and has also been cleared of attempted murder. He was not named on the charge sheet in the Reas’ case, suggesting he did not co-operate with police. The charge said the Reas assaulted an unknown male by repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body. They were both handed 18-month restriction of liberty orders at Airdrie Sheriff Court on Tuesday, and told to do 200 hours’ community service.

On Thursday, Mario’s jury trial for the assault on Boyle began at Hamilton Sheriff Court. He carried out the attack in August 2012 at the Vue Cinema in the town while on bail for the assault on Lyons, but said he acted in self-defence. Cinema manager Alison Dryden told the court the venue was busy at the time with children going to afternoon screenings. She said she saw Mario leaving a queue and going towards the pick ’n’ mix area, where he punched Boyle, who was with a small boy.

Ms Dryden told the court she saw Rea holding what appeared to be a five-inch knife to his victim’s face. After she was cross-examined, Rea, of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, pled guilty to an amended charge which replaced “knife” with “key”. He also admitted repeatedly hitting Boyle before pushing him through a fire escape. Sheriff Joyce Powrie deferred sentence until December 17.

The twins’ convictions delighted detectives who have seen them walk away from serious probes involving drugs, money laundering and violence. One source said: “The Reas love to strut around posing as successful young businessmen, but the reality is they’re just a couple of neds.”

In 2007, we revealed that the twins were targeted in a major probe by the now defunct Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. They were among six men charged over drugs and money laundering, but the Crown dropped the case.

Mario and a sacked North Lanarkshire Council planning official were reported to the Crown for alleged corruption over a land deal, but that case was also dropped. And both twins were arrested in connection with a street attack on ex-boxer Craig Windsor snr. Again, prosecutors did not proceed.

As well as the Lyons fall-out, the Reas have been at the centre of a feud with drugs ban boxer Craig Windsor jnr, who police have told to back off. Mario is serving a seven-year ban from being a company director. He failed to explain where £578.4k in a property firm’s accounts came from, or why £776.5k was withdrawn from it. In June last year, we also told how Mario had been warned that his life was in danger from a crime gang with links to the Real IRA. (Daily Record)

1 Nov 2015: Cops fail in bid to stop controversial businessman operating as a landlord

Former boxing promoter Carlo Rea was on North Lanarkshire Council ’s register of accredited private landlords. Police tried to block the renewal of Rea’s ­registration but the bid was thrown out by ­councillors in North Lanarkshire at a meeting held in private. A source said: “The police told the council they thought Rea’s ­application should be rejected. “The fact their request was rejected is disappointing but not surprising.”

The 37-year-old twins have also been linked to the ­£600million collapse of offshore hedge fund Heather Capital, run by Glasgow lawyer Greg King. His fund loaned DMR Assets Ltd, which was run by the Reas, £4.8million to develop plots of derelict land across central ­Scotland. When DMR went bust, administrators were able to claw back just £1.8million.

The Rea twins were at the ­centre of a 2008 ­Scottish Crime and Drug ­Enforcement Agency probe and charged with drugs and money laundering offences. But Crown Office prosecutors dropped the case in March 2012 due to insufficient evidence.

In 2013, Carlo and Mario were ­convicted of attacking Eddie Lyons Jr – a member of the Lyons crime clan – at the birthday party of Rea ­associate Barry Cushley in ­Coatbridge in 2011. Both Reas were handed 18-month restriction of liberty orders at Airdrie Sheriff Court and told to do 200 hours’ ­community service.

Also in 2011, the twins were arrested in connection with a street attack on ex-boxer Craig Windsor snr but prosecutors did not proceed with charges.

North Lanarkshire Council said a ­sub-committee considered whether Carlo Rea should stay on the register. A ­spokesman said: “The ­committee decided that Carlo Rea remained a fit person to be on the register.” Police Scotland said: “We can confirm we did raise an objection in relation to this matter. However we note the council’s decision.”

In 2009 North ­Lanarkshire Council planner Danny Welsh, 43, was sacked for ­taking gifts from Mario. Charges against the pair were dropped but Welsh lost an unfair sacking claim.

The Insolvency Service barred Mario from serving as a director for seven years in 2011 for ­unexplained money transfers.

He was sentenced in 2013 to 200 hours’ community service for assaulting Lyons associate Liam Boyle with a key at a cinema.  (Daily Record)

10 Dec 2015: Dalziel Park Used as an Illegal Waste Dump

A businessman has been ordered to do unpaid community work after he admitted illegal dumping in Motherwell. Carlo Rea had waste including stones and soil sent to upmarket Dalziel Park where he owned the hotel and golf course.

Rea appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court last week and admitted acting as an unlicensed waste carrier between March and July 2011. He was ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to prison.

The court heard that throughout the four-month period Rea’s company OTL Plant & Haulage Contractor transported more than 5,000 tonnes of waste soils and stones to Dalziel Park although no waste management licence or exemption was in force at the site. Carriers are supposed to ensure that waste is taken to a suitably licensed facility which can accept and treat waste appropriately.

Rea also failed to register his company as a licensed waste carrier or produce notes describing the waste type and where each waste load had been taken to. The rules are in place to ensure waste is disposed of correctly and to deter illegal dumping.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency was alerted to the breaches following an investigation into illegal dumping at Longriggend, near Airdrie. A SEPA spokesman said: “The unravelling of this case has been a long process, involving a number of different companies and individuals from the waste industry. “Dumping waste illegally is not only reckless, it can cause serious harm to the environment which over time could start to contaminate the surrounding landscape if left unchecked. “Providing business to unlicensed groups or individuals is not only illegal, it undercuts legitimate waste carriers, promotes bad practice and starts to impact on the wider industry.”

Rea ran the Dalziel Park hotel and leisure complex for a number of years and promoted boxing events there. He is no stranger to the courts. He and his twin, Mario, were given community service for assault in 2013 and last year Carlo, of Coatbridge, got another unpaid work order for driving while disqualified. Two months ago North Lanarkshire Council allowed him to stay on its list of accredited landlords despite a police objection.The twins were targeted in a police drugs and money laundering probe a number of years ago, but the case was dropped.(Motherwell Times)