A well-known conservationist and member of the British Royalty is tangled up in a $78 million carbon credit fraud scheme
Ian Swingland, a professor at the University of Kent, allegedly helped investors avoid paying down a tax on tens of millions of dollars worth of assets in a three-year scam involving several other accomplices.
Swingland, who was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2007, used climate change projects as a type of conduit for the scheme. British Royalty bestowed the OBE honor upon him for his contribution to conservationism.
“They were opportunities to invest in research designed to counteract the effects of climate change and to find a cure for HIV,” Julian Christopher, the prosecutor in the case, told reporters. “They were designed to be attractive to people who had a large amount of income that they would rather not pay tax on.”
Swingland was joined in the scheme by hucksters Anthony Blakey, John Banyard, Martin King, and Andrew Bascombe, all of whom were accused of operating “a series of dishonest tax schemes” between 2005 and 2008.
