A court has ruled that police are authorized to seize over £2 million from controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan following their failure to pay taxes on £21 million generated from their online ventures.
Devon and Cornwall Police aimed to confiscate funds from seven frozen bank accounts belonging to the brothers and an individual identified only as J.
The presiding judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court characterized what seemed to be a “complex financial matrix” as a “straightforward cheat of the revenue.”
Andrew Tate described the ruling as “not justice” and characterized it as a “coordinated attack.”
Detectives have established a direct connection between a portion of the revenue and the allegations of human trafficking facing the brothers in Romania.
According to previous court proceedings, the brothers deposited nearly $12 million (£9.5 million) into an account registered under J’s name.
During the hearing, it was revealed that a second account had been opened in her name, despite her lack of involvement in their online ventures, which encompass the War Room, Hustlers’ University, Cobra Tate, and OnlyFans.
A portion of the funds law enforcement sought to confiscate consisted of cryptocurrency registered under J’s name.
Lawyers representing Devon and Cornwall Police informed the court that Andrew Tate had openly stated he had not fulfilled his tax obligations in the UK, asserting that his strategy was to “ignore, ignore, ignore because, in the end, they go away.”
The police contended that the brothers’ documented earnings of £21 million from 2014 to 2022 appeared to have been generated without the men possessing “any significant qualifications, business experience, established companies, shares, intellectual property or similar assets”.
In a decision favouring the police force, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring stated that the brothers failed to provide any evidence concerning tax payments. However, their legal representatives maintained that the transfer of funds constituted legitimate business operations.
In his written ruling, the judge expressed that he was “satisfied” that the brothers had “engaged in long-standing, deliberate conduct in order to evade their tax.”
The total amount that the force can seize is £2,683,345, which also includes cryptocurrency assets.
In the aftermath of the ruling, Andrew Tate expressed his belief that he had fallen prey to “the matrix” and described his situation as “outright theft”.
“He described it as a coordinated attack on those who dare to challenge the system,” the statement read.
“Criticize the established system, and you may find your freedom, reputation, and livelihood under threat.”
Andrew Tate faces bans from TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, as these platforms have accused him of disseminating hate speech and misogynistic remarks. Despite these restrictions, he maintains a significant presence on X, boasting over 10 million followers.
In June of the previous year, Romanian prosecutors brought charges against him for rape, human trafficking, and the formation of a criminal gang.
Tristan Tate is currently under scrutiny due to allegations of human trafficking, with Romanian authorities indicating that their investigation involves seven purported victims.
Deceptive assurances of love and marriage reportedly lured in these individuals.
The Tate brothers have refuted the allegations levelled against them.
Judge Goldspring stated that one account was used to transfer funds connected to the allegations.
“I am confident that this account is utilized for transactions related to female complainants in the Romanian allegations, as well as for substantial payments to co-defendants involved in the Romanian criminal proceedings,” he stated.
“The determination of whether the activities of the respondent brothers’ webcam business constitute modern slavery and other offences will rest with the Romanian criminal courts.”
However, for this discussion, none of these funds were reported to the tax authorities in either the UK or Romania.
He asserted that this bolstered his conclusion that the brothers’ “entire financial arrangements are consistent with concerted tax evasion and money laundering”.
When the duo faced allegations of concealing funds from tax authorities, they informed the court of their intention to present evidence from a professional accountant.
The plan was subsequently abandoned, with Judge Goldspring stating that no evidence was ultimately presented to refute the police’s allegations.
Devon and Cornwall Police expressed their approval of the judge’s ruling.
A spokesperson for the force stated, “From the beginning, our goal has been to show that Andrew and Tristan Tate engaged in tax evasion and money laundering through bank accounts situated in Devon.
“Two individuals are accused of hiding their income sources by routing funds through ‘front’ accounts, which amounts to criminal behavior and categorizes those earnings as proceeds of crime. The organization has stated that it will withhold additional comments until the conclusion of the 28-day appeal period.
Bedfordshire Police is pursuing the extradition of the Tate brothers to the UK amid allegations of rape and human trafficking, which the brothers have denied.
A judge in Bucharest has announced that the extradition request will be addressed after the case is resolved in Romania.
