British police can seize nearly £2.7 million ($3.4 million) in penalties for unpaid taxes from controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, a London court ruled Wednesday, marking the latest legal blow for the self-proclaimed misogynist who is also battling human trafficking charges in Romania.
Andrew Tate is pictured inside The Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania.
The U.K.’s Devon and Cornwall Police pursued legal action against the Tate brothers and an unnamed third person earlier this year, alleging they had not paid any taxes on around £21 million ($26.7 million) in revenue they had raised from their online businesses between 2014 and 2017.
The online businesses in question include his so-called “global network” called War Room, Hustlers’ University, his Cobra Tate website and OnlyFans accounts.
The police had sought to seize the money from seven frozen accounts belonging to the Tates.
Judge Paul Goldspring at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruled the transactions carried out by the brothers—which included transferring around $12 million to the account of the third accused, referred to as J—were a “straightforward cheat” to dodge tax officials.
According to the BBC, the police force can now seize £2,683,345 ($3.4 million) from the Tates, including cryptocurrency.
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Tate lashed out against the court ruling in a series of posts on X, saying that he was under attack from the “Matrix” and the “UK government is stealing my money saying that I owe them taxes.” In a statement to the press, Tate said: “This is not justice; it’s a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system.”
The British judge’s ruling is the latest in a series of legal blows the controversial social media figure has faced in the past year. Tate and his younger brother Tristan are currently in Romania, where they have been charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. Both have denied all allegations against them. A court in Romania has barred them from leaving the country as they await trial. Romanian authorities have also agreed to extradite Tate to the U.K. following the trial, after British authorities issued an arrest warrant against him on allegations of sexual aggression dating back to 2012-2015. In August, Romanian authorities conducted a large-scale raid on Tate’s home as part of an investigation into another set of allegations of human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements, forming an organized crime group and money laundering.
Andrew Tate Detained In Romania After UK Issues Arrest Warrant Over Alleged Sexual Aggression (Forbes)