Man used stolen identity to fraudulently rent properties across Lancashire to grow cannabis
A man who used a stolen identity to fraudulently rent properties across the UK - many of which were used to grow cannabis - has been jailed.
Lee Flaherty, 42, of Regent Road, Bolton, was yesterday sentenced to two years and two months in prison as part of Operation Grimsby, an investigation led by Lancashire Police’s Fylde Rural Task Force.
The operation began in April 2024 after police discovered several cannabis grows in rental properties across Fylde.
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Detectives found that the homes had been rented using forged documents and the personal details of a fraud victim who had been reporting suspicious activity to police in another part of the country.
Further enquiries revealed that Flaherty had used the victim’s identity and fabricated documents - including birth certificates, driving licences, and wage slips - to fraudulently rent 17 properties across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Newcastle, Durham, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A significant number of these addresses were then used to cultivate cannabis.
Investigators say Flaherty also created aliases and fake references to deceive landlords and estate agents.
He was identified through detailed financial investigations and phone data analysis.
In January 2025, police carried out multiple warrants across Lancashire and Manchester, leading to Flaherty’s arrest.
Officers recovered several mobile phones used to assume false identities, along with counterfeit documents in the victim’s name.
He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to produce cannabis and two counts of possession of identity documents with improper intention.
A spokesperson for the Fylde Rural Task Force said: “These offences have had a detrimental impact on the victim, estate agents and landlords who have suffered significant financial loss and damage to their properties.
“We hope this reassures our community that we are committed to investigating serious organised criminality and take your reports and concerns seriously.
“We would like to remind criminals that cross-border criminality will not be tolerated in Fylde, and we will continue to target, disrupt and convict those involved.”