A drug dealer being chased for £800,000 by prosecutors has had the proceeds of crime case against him delayed after accusing police of massively over-valuing his cocaine.
Dale Pearson, 29, said the police valued his cocaine at ten times what it was actually worth.
Counsel for Pearson, Mark Moir, said the case would also have to be put off because surveyors had made a glaring mistake when valuing Pearson’s home.
It has previously been delayed over claims Pearson made a fortune trading in Bitcoin.
House price argument
Mr Moir told Dundee Sheriff Court: “This has had a long and somewhat sorry history.
“I have had contact with the Proceeds of Crime unit and provided quite a bit of documentation.
“One relates to a survey of his home by a major surveyor.
“For reasons that are not clear they failed to value a fairly substantial annexe to the property.
“As a result, the valuation coming back is less than the price he paid for the property in 2016.
“Not surprisingly, the Crown said they would not accept that valuation.
“There is also a dispute over the wholesale value of a quarter kilo of cocaine.
“For reasons that are not clear it has been put down at ten times the normal value.”
Mr Moir said if the issues could be resolved it is hoped Pearson and the Crown could agree a pay-back figure.
A specialist forensic accountant has already been called in to analyse Pearson’s Bitcoin claim.
Money laundering charges dropped
Pearson, who was jailed for drug running, had previously been charged with setting up a web design company to front a large-scale fraud.
He was said to have scammed a £250,000 mortgage before “concealing, disguising, converting and transferring” cash and Bitcoin amounting to £789,046.64 over the course of six years.
Money laundering charges, said to be connected to serious and organised crime, were dropped when Pearson admitted dealing cocaine and ketamine.
He was convicted after Parcelforce staff found bags of white powder stuffed inside a board game being sent to a Dundee address.
The drugs were recovered in 2015 and found to have a potential street value of nearly £90,000.
He also admitted having other drugs and was jailed for five years.
