THE NORTH Cumbrian conman responsible for the county's biggest ever "cash for crash" insurance fraud has been stripped of more than £500,000 in criminal profits.

Mark McCracken, 53, created multiple fake identities as he carried out the audacious scam for which he served time in jail. Described by police as a "truly massive" criminal enterprise, it ultimately involved dozens of people.

Insurance firms were targeted with dozens of fraudulent claims after staged or bogus car crashes. As well as recruiting people to join the scam, McCracken got directly involved.

For one claim, he faked the voice on an imaginary woman during a call with an insurance firm worker.

At Carlisle Crown Court today, a judge ruled that the amount of "benefit" McCracken generated from his crimes was just short of £900,000.

Of that figure, said Judge Nicholas Barker, investigators tracked down assets held by McCracken worth just over £500,000 - and all of those assets must now be surrendered to the court. 

If McCracken fails to hand over those assets within six months, he will be jailed for a further four and a half years, said the judge.

The judge said that £179,561 must be repaid to the insurance firms who were scammed by McCracken; and a further £3,390 must go to a named victim.

Police have spent years attempting to get to the bottom of McCracken's murky finances.

Some of his criminal cash has been ploughed into properties, it is understood.

After legal discussions between prosecutor Tim Evans and defence counsel, Judge Barker formally issued a £501,315 confiscation order against McCracken, now living at Ullswater Road, Carlisle.

A parallel Proceeds of Crime case against his sister Melanie McCracken - formerly Wilson - was discontinued.

When Mark McCracken was sentenced for the cash for crash scam at the crown court in 2019, prosecutors outlined how police officers had seized bundles of illicit cash in their searches of properties linked to the smooth-talking fraudster.

More than £77,000 was recovered by police during the raids,the court heard.

As he was being sentenced, McCracken’s lawyer told the court that the defendant wanted a fresh start so that he could put his criminal life behind him once and for all.

At Carlisle Crown Court today, McCracken listened silently in the dock, sitting alongside his mother and his sister. The properties in which some of his criminal cash were hidden are thought to be in Wigton, Cockermouth, Maryport and Carlisle.

Police found key evidence for their investigation when they raided the McCracken’s family home in Brindlefield, Wigton. In a secret cupboard, officers found documents which were used by McCracken to create 10 false identities.

As the evidence against him mounted, he finally admitted his guilt, pleading guilty to 11 counts of money laundering and perverting the course of justice.

The judge said there will be no further action Melanie McCracken.

To read more about how police cracked Mark McCracken's cash for crash operation, go to this link. His leading role in the scam is outlined in a report available on this link.