A drugs lord who had an empire stretching into Nottinghamshire and used the proceeds of crime to lead a movie star lifestyle is to have thousands of pounds worth of his designer clothes sold off. A court was told that Jonathan Walsh scooped up £750,000 through his crimes - and used it to lead a lavish lifestyle with his girlfriend.
Walsh, 34, ran a huge drugs trafficking operation, peddling cannabis and amphetamine from Greater Manchester to Nottinghamshire. His girlfriend Jodie Bowie, 32, got involved in the operation - and enjoyed an ‘influencer-style’ existence with him. When police raided her home, they found £100k of designer clothing.
Cash from selling drugs in areas of Nottinghamshire was used to buy expensive clothes, jewellery, posh cars and even cosmetic surgery appointments. Under Proceeds of Crime laws, Walsh will have to pay back just over £40,000, representing the value of items seized by police including designer clothes worth about £38,000 and a van worth £2,000. He benefited from crime to the tune of £738,750, a hearing at Manchester Crown Court heard, the MEN reports.
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Walsh of Warwick Road, Failsworth, plead guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs and money laundering and was later found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm, conspiracy to possess ammunition and conspiracy to possess an explosive device after trial at Manchester Crown Court in September 2021. He was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
Jodie Bowie of Medlock Road, Failsworth, Manchester received 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B cannabis and money laundering.
Walsh has £41,010 worth of available funds, the value of designer clothes and a Citroen Berlingo van. The clothes and van are now set to be sold off by police. Bowie, who worked as a carer for the elderly, is also set to face proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Her case was adjourned until next month.
The couple met on Facebook after he served a 14 year prison sentence for armed robbery. Bowie became involved in Walsh’s drugs conspiracy. When one of Walsh’s couriers was arrested, Bowie was so determined to keep things going she enlisted her mum, dad, and brother to help with moving the cash generated by the racket. When Bowie’s home was raided by police, officers discovered more than £100,000 worth of designer clothes as well as £10,000 in cash.
Another visit by police recovered clothing valued at £27,000, another £5,410 in cash, while messages on her phone showed her making arrangements with Walsh to spend around £5,000 on cosmetic surgery. At a previous hearing, prosecutor Tom Challinor said of the couple’s initial weeks together: “Over a very short period of time Walsh began to accrue possessions of a lavish lifestyle, including Rolex watches, designer clothing, and driving expensive cars at £1,300 a month.
“They decked out their house in lavish decor which indicated that sort of lifestyle. Jodie Bowie worked at the time but was not on the sort of income which could have supported that lifestyle. When it came to spending money, she was fearless.”
Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Norman, of GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: “This was a lengthy and intricate operation dedicated to dismantling this criminal group. We’ve now managed to make sure these people remain in jail for a significant amount of time, and our community is now a safer place with them behind bars.”
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