Two men from Gloucester have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a £2.2 million money laundering operation connected to Post Office branches in Gloucestershire and Bristol.
Patrick White, age 31, of Spa Road, and Thomas Dainty, also 31, from Beckford Close in Abbeymead, admitted their participation in the scheme as part of an eight-member organised crime group. Both men also pleaded guilty to drug offences, including being involved in the supply of class A drugs (cocaine), with Dainty additionally admitting to involvement in the supply of class B drug cannabis.
At Bristol Crown Court on Friday, 14 August, White received a sentence of three years and eight months, while Dainty was jailed for two years and nine months.
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The pair laundered in excess of £300,000 through multiple Post Office branches across Gloucestershire and Bristol.
The operation was led by Guiseppe Sangiovanni, 35, from Belworth Drive in Cheltenham. The South West Regional Organised Crime Group (SWROCG) launched an investigation following alerts about unusual cash deposits made at 28 Post Office branches and two bank paying-in machines throughout the region.
During a search of Sangiovanni’s residence, police seized £30,000 found atop his fridge, along with a collection of Rolex watches, a Porsche vehicle, and designer clothing.
Peter Highway, who led the SWROCG investigation, stated that Sangiovanni profited by laundering criminal cash and recruiting others to do so, with the funds likely originating from crimes in Cheltenham and the wider Gloucestershire area.
The organised gang conducted 1,168 transactions over four months, laundering amounts ranging between £93,000 and £1 million individually. Sangiovanni alone deposited £80,000 in cash.
All eight members of the group were arrested in February 2022 by officers from SWROCG, assisted by Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Sangiovanni was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison in April after admitting to recruiting individuals to launder £2.2 million, which was swiftly converted into cryptocurrency.
Sara Buffin, aged 43, from Valley Gardens, Quedgeley, played a significant role in the operation by laundering over £1 million. She received a three-year prison sentence in February.
Four additional men from Gloucestershire received suspended sentences in February 2026.
Peter Highway remarked, “Our investigation was triggered by alerts of suspicious cash deposits at Post Office branches and bank machines across the region. Through detailed analysis of numerous transactions and international cooperation, we uncovered the breadth of Sangiovanni’s money laundering operation and the involvement of his recruits.
“Laundering criminal proceeds enables other crimes to flourish, and those who assist are complicit. This case demonstrates our determination, working closely with the financial sector, to disrupt such activities and bring offenders to justice. We are actively pursuing confiscation orders for the seized cash and assets linked to Sangiovanni, Buffin, and others.”