Two brothers once named among the UK’s ‘most wanted’ ran a drug dealing operation that was busted by happy birthday messages.
Michael and Peter Moogan shared an EncroChat device but were identified, partly, by a flurry of congratulations that arrived on Peter’s big day.
The court also heard Michael had caused his partner’s sister to flee Huyton after threatening her over a bag of cash.
READ MORE: Unlucky dealer set up EncroChat phone after network had already been hacked
Michael and Peter operated an EncroChat-enabled phone that used the codename PaleFlame.
Messages obtained by police showed the pair discussing the buying and selling of cocaine in kilogram hauls between February and June 2020.
David Watson, prosecuting, said: “In the case of both defendants the attribution evidence was compelling.”
The brothers shared pictures of their children, vehicles, homes and relevant postcodes through EncroChat while on April 1, 2020 - Peter’s 38th birthday - a number of happy birthday messages were received by their account.
Mr Watson added: “The data makes it clear that both defendants were in business together, utilising a well-established network.”
Their device had 42 contacts stored in it and their messages revealed details to buy and sell cocaine to accounts including DubFox, RareIvy, TopGolfer and ZonalPizza.
The brothers, both from Huyton, were arrested in raids that led to the recovery of just over £26,000 found in a pillow case in Michael’s bedroom and £61,000 in a business park unit linked to Peter.
In total, prosecutors argued they could be linked to the dealing of 8kgs of cocaine and 1kg of cannabis.
They admitted conspiracy to supply both drugs.
Michael had also pleaded guilty to affray relating to threats made to his partner’s sister in August 2020.
Mr Watson said his partner had asked her sister to mind a bag of money she said was to be used for landscaping work but which she did not want in the house while the workers were present.
When the bag - a Peppa Pig rucksack - was picked up, Michael claimed £14,000 was missing.
He drove to the home and the mum, in effect his sister-in-law, said that when she went to see him outside she heard him say to someone on the phone “have you got a piece on you” and that, of her partner, he warned “half an hour or he’s getting it on your doorstep”.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the incident had caused the family to leave Huyton out of fear and that the family “will now have to rebuild our lives elsewhere”.
Michael pleaded guilty to affray on the basis that he did not leave the car, no violence occurred and that at no point was he in possession of a weapon - that it was simply an “oral threat”.
The Crown Prosecution Service accepted the plea.
The court heard both men had previous convictions, including for gun offences over which they appeared on the BBC show Crimewatch while they were wanted by police.
They were eventually caught in Spain, extradited and locked up because their fingerprints were found on weapons recovered by police after they swooped on an underworld armourer based in Haydock.
Damian Nolan, defending Michael, referred to a letter he had written to the court and said his client expressed remorse for his actions. He added the 33-year-old, of Boundary Road, had no previous convictions related to Class A drug offences.
Defending Peter, of Salerno Drive and who has previously been jailed for crimes linked to Class A drugs, Oliver Cook said the 39-year-old was a “dedicated family man” and added: “He tells me that, not withstanding his antecedent history, he wants to put this sort of offending, any sort of offending, behind him and when he is released become a productive member of society.”
The judge, Recorder Andrew McLoughlin, told the Moogans: “You were well and truly involved in serious criminal offending behaviour.”
He added: “In my judgement, in this case both of you were clearly playing a leading role in this conspiracy.
“You were directing or organising the buying and selling on a commercial scale.”
Both men were sentenced to a total of 11 years and three months in jail.
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