Prison Sentence - Fraud and Cannabis Cultivation

This is Lee FLAHERTY and on Wednesday he was sentenced to two years and two months in prison as part of Operation Grimsby.

In April 2024 Fylde Rural Task Force launched Operation Grimsby after numerous cannabis grows were located in rental properties across Fylde. The team identified a link and discovered they had been rented fraudulently using the victims details. The victim had been reporting suspected fraud to their local force outside of Lancashire.

FLAHERTY used the victims ID and falsified documents to fraudulently rent 17 properties across Lancashire, Manchester, Newcastle, Durham, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A significant amount of these properties were used to cultivate cannabis.

FLAHERTY was implicated by extensive financial enquiries and phone data. FLAHERTY created falsified ID including birth certificates, driving licences and wage slips in the victim's name. He also created aliases to provide false references to estate agents and landlords.

In January 2025, Fylde Rural Task Force executed several warrants across Lancashire and Manchester. FLAHERTY was arrested and found in possession of several mobile phones which he used when pretending to be the victim and his aliases. Also located at his home were falsified documents in the victims name.

FLAHERTY was charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to produce cannabis and possession of identity documents with improper intention (x2).

On Wednesday, Lee FLAHERTY aged 42 of Regent Road, Bolton was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.

These offences have had a detrimental impacted on the victim, estate agents and landlords who have suffered significant financial loss and damage to their properties.

Fylde Rural Task Force hope this reassures our community that we are committed to investigating serious organised criminality and take your reports and concerns seriously.  We would like to remind criminals that cross border criminality will not be tolerated in Fylde and we will continue to target, disrupt and convict those involved.

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