DORSET record seller Richard Hutter – who made an estimated £1.2 million selling counterfeit vinyl – has been ordered to pay back more of his ill-gotten gains.

Last Wednesday (16 October) Hutter, of Matchams Close, St Leonards, was ordered to pay further compensation after undisclosed assets were discovered following a new investigation.

In 2020, a probe was launched into a business selling counterfeit vinyl records worldwide.

It ended with Hutter, trading as Vinyl Groove, pleading guilty to 14 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

He was finally sentenced in Bournemouth Crown Court in April 2023, where the court heard he had benefitted from his crimes to the tune of more than £1.2 million.

He had to produce details of his assets, and the court ordered he repay £373,589.64 within three months or face a three-month jail term.

Under the terms of the Confiscation Order, the remaining £900,633.20 would have to be paid if any further assets were identified in the future.

Then, in July 2023, Hutter completed paying his confiscation, but Trading Standards noticed a discrepancy in the payments that led them to believe he may have further undisclosed assets.

As a result, Dorset Council’s Accredited Financial Investigator began a new confiscation investigation into his finances, which found assets of £229,962.50 not declared at the previous hearing.

So, at Bournemouth Crown Court on October 16, Hutter was ordered to pay this additional sum within three months or face a three-year default sentence.

READ MORE: Dorset man Richard Hutter made £1.2 million selling counterfeit vinyl, court told

Money from proceeds of crime claims is reinvested by Dorset Council into further disruption and asset recovery work, and to help fund local crime-fighting priorities for the benefit of the community.

Cllr Gill Taylor, cabinet member for health and housing (including regulatory services such as Trading Standards), said: “When our Trading Standards team investigates cases where the perpetrator has made significant sums of money from their crimes, we will always seek to recover this through confiscation.

“If future assets are identified, we can apply to the courts to seize these until all the benefit from the crime has been recovered.

“Unfortunately, counterfeiting is often seen by criminals as a low-risk, high-reward crime. It is often linked to money laundering and can be used to help fund other serious crimes. It damages the UK economy, undermines the interests of legitimate businesses, and pushes up the cost to consumers of buying good quality genuine items. It is not a victimless crime.

“We are extremely pleased with this result, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for their hard work.”