London Fields Brewery owner Jules Whiteway arrested
Arrested: Jules Whiteway of London Fields Brewery. Photograph: Tim Sullivan
The owner of the London Fields Brewery has been arrested on suspicion of tax evasion.
Jules Whiteway was arrested earlier this week on Wednesday 3 December.
In a statement an HMRC spokesperson said: “On 3 December we arrested a 42 year old man in London on suspicion of cheating the revenue in respect of VAT.”
Jules Whiteway co-founded the London Fields Brewery in 2011, after having previously led a £10.5 million operation supplying cocaine to celebrities and City workers.
In 2004, Whiteway and three accomplices admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and were sentenced to a cumulative 36 years in prison.
Whiteway, who boasted about laundering “briefcases of cash” from the operation, received a jail sentence of 12 years.
Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the court made a confiscation order which requires Whiteway to pay the £2,137,500 profit he had made from his criminal activities.
As of September, he had repaid just £262,000.
The Hackney Citizen has asked a spokesperson for the London Fields Brewery for comment.
London Fields Brewery earlier today. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
Sentences do not get “replaced” by confiscaton orders. Confiscation orders are usually added to sentences with a period in custody in default. I have no connection to London Fields Brewery but I am wondering why you are so keen to report this story. Did they refuse to stock your pamphlet?
Paul it’s not a pamphlet it’s a rag. Fairly good one too.
Err, its a NEWSpaper, and if this isn’t news in Hackney, what is please?
You know, newspapers? The things they used to wrap fish in? I know I am betraying my age…
I live near the brewery – used to buy their ale, I’m interested, why not? It’s local news. If you have no connection why are you getting so upset bro? why even comment?
are you his barrister Paul?
@ Paul Crampin: thank you for your correction re confiscation orders, we have now amended the story. – Ed.
Jesus christ you guys are so keen to throw him under the bus. I guess all publicity is good publicity though as I walked past their cafe earlier and it is heaving.
They make really good beer. I hope this isn’t the end. Got a bunch of dodgier operations in Hackney I’d love to see go before they do.
Fair point Michael, name names and we can get onto those instead.
Do you know him Michael? I do. Be careful who you stick up for. Ask around the brewing world and his current and former employees and see what they say.
Ha ha ha. I loathe how fucked up and twisted the Ditch/Hoxton has become. These zones wound not exist without it’s ‘pioneers’, so stop reporting and grassing about pointless shit about someone who’s done time and then moved then on.
Boring!
Ha. I work in the ‘brewing world’ myself, I’m well aware of his reputation.
I just think it’s a little ridiculous how many people want to see this place shut down. If it shuts down lots of people will lose their jobs – anyone thought about that?
The guy might not be the most popular in Hackney and yes has a shady past but he has done his time and it’s alarming how many people are willing to trash the breweries reputation which will indeed harm its current and former employees.
As for dodgy operations in Hackney, just take a stroll down Dalston Lane and I’m sure you’ll find a few.
Take a stroll in the House of Commons….
This type of hypocracy and hideous gentrification has driven anything good or creative north.
Keep it up!
Hypocracy is those who slam a drug dealer yet indulge in some recreational drug usage on the weekends
Haha, exactly! Hypocrites. But pay you’re tax too.
selling coke pills weed
So basically he made millions, stashed them away while he went to jail to do half of his sentence, payed the taxpayers jack and then invested in the brewery? I have absolutely zero sympathy for him. Even if he’s innocent of tax evasion, he’s still a douchebag who’d be still in jail.
No mention of the nuisance this brewery has caused to residents of Warbuton & Darcy Houses?
No names yet Michael? Thought as much. I guess it’s not surprising that an ex dealer with city connections would find a few defenders here and there.
I have worked for this man. He is an irremediable criminal. Indubitably no longer involved in drugs, but will take the first opportunity to cut corners, cheat, and step over contractors, staff, anyone that impedes his ability to make a buck. Not that Gideon ever sees any of it. It also appears he has been fiddling his many employees PAYE forms to indicate they have paid various taxes when in fact hording it all himself. God knows what he did with with it all cos it certainly wasnt doing up his tatty brewery.
@Tom Quick – Why would I give you names? So you can start an online smear campaign that could destroy reputations of employees associated with the business?
Really not defending the guy, more the business and the people I know who work for it. 3 weeks before Xmas is not the best time to be looking for a new job.
@Michael: because you suggested that there are other dodgy businesses in Hackney that deserve investigation more than this one. Until we know who these are by you or someone else naming them we’ll have to keep going after this guy.
The beer’s good, so’s the whole story behind it. I’d never have heard of The Hackney Citizen newspaper otherwise.
Jules de Vere Whitway-Fanfair-La’deedah irremediable ?
Great comments section. Good read.
Are any of you guys from Hackney
In the first place …or are yuppies
Want to be east end gangstaz?
I love ale/ I actually love London fields beer Esp ‘love not war’/ but I also run a company where I pay hmrc £32k a month for paye, I pay approx £90k a year in corp tax employ 55 people in hackney and pay my self f##k all !!
Why should he brag about money laundering, then not pay tax at his ‘legitimate busines’s and not go down?
Also I think you should research how he’s done ‘legitimate’ business in the past and judge on that ….
There’s loads of other better micro breweries / f**k it and all he sails in I say
#BoycottLFB
This ^
Was someone above really accusing the Citizen of pushing “gentrification” because they’re critical of Julian de Vere Whiteway-Wilkinson?