Man Sentenced to 2 Years and 2 Months in Prison for Cannabis Grow and Identity Theft

Lee Flaherty, 42, of Regent Road, Bolton, used a victim's stolen identity to rent properties across multiple regions, including Lancashire, Manchester, Newcastle, Durham, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, for the purpose of growing cannabis. Flaherty created fake identification documents, including birth certificates, driving licenses, and wage slips, and used aliases to obtain false references for the rentals. He was arrested in January 2025, and upon his arrest, police found several mobile phones and falsified documents in the victim's name. Flaherty pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to produce cannabis, and possession of identity documents with improper intention. He was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in prison on May 28.

Key Takeaways:

• Lee Flaherty used a victim's stolen identity to rent 17 properties across multiple regions for the purpose of growing cannabis.
• Flaherty created fake identification documents, including birth certificates, driving licenses, and wage slips, to obtain false references for the rentals.
• He used aliases to provide false references to estate agents and landlords.
• Flaherty was arrested in January 2025 and found in possession of several mobile phones and falsified documents in the victim's name.
• He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to produce cannabis, and possession of identity documents with improper intention.
• Flaherty was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in prison on May 28.

Statistics:

• 17 properties were rented using forged documents.
• Flaherty was found to be in possession of several mobile phones.
• The victim's identity was used to create fake identification documents, including birth certificates, driving licenses, and wage slips.
• Flaherty was arrested in January 2025.
• He was sentence to 2 years and 2 months in prison on May 28.

Sources:

• [No specific source cited in the original text]