A drug-dealer busted after he was uncovered as the man behind the 'ChopperReid' EncroChat account has been ordered to hand over £40,000 in criminal cash.
Liam Garvey, of The Boulevard in Thatto Heath, St Helens, admitted conspiracy to supply 3kg of cocaine, 2kg of ketamine and producing cannabis after police intercepted his communications. Garvey had referenced providing live-in harvesters for cannabis farms, and discussed working with 'Albos' - meaning Albanian mobsters.
The 29-year-old was jailed for nine years and nine months at Liverpool Crown Court last September. Since then discussions have taken place between prosecutors and Garvey's representatives under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), which enables the courts to seize ill-gotten gains.
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Garvey was found to have profited by £355,395 from his illicit trade. However after examination of his accounts and property, the court ruled his "realisable assets" were £39,923. Recorder Graham Wells, presiding over a POCA hearing today, ordered him to pay the sum within three months or face an additional 12 months behind bars.
During his sentencing, the court heard Garvey had been arrested at his home in May last year after police working on Operation Venetic, the national operation targeting users of EncroChat, revealed him as the user of the handles ‘Butterflyjuice’ and ‘ChopperReid.’
Anya Horwood, prosecuting, said detectives were able to link Garvey to the ChopperReid account as it referenced a criminal case he faced, and there were discussions about his family members and current and previous addresses.
She told the court he then switched to the username ButterflyJuice where he confirmed his birthday and named his girlfriend. The court heard he had 32 contacts saved in the phone and he had significant criminal conversations with 12 others between March 27 and June 6 last year.
Miss Horwood said they showed he played a leading role in the operation, as he, along with others, organised for people to work as live in harvesters at cannabis farms.
She said there were a number of conversations in which he referred to "the Albanians", or "the albos", farming and harvesting the cannabis for national distribution.
Garvey, who has four previous drugs convictions, was closely involved in three cannabis farms and among his duties was arranging deals, weighing and organising the distribution of drugs and arranging for money to be collected, said Miss Horwood.
Speaking at the time of the sentencing, Detective Constable Kevin Mitchell said: “Today yet another criminal has been put behind bars as part of national Operation Venetic.
"Garvey was involved in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and ketamine across Merseyside and sought to profit from the misery they inflict on vulnerable people in the heart of our communities, and the violence and intimidation that so often goes hand in hand with drug dealing.
“It is good news for the people of Merseyside that this man will now spend a significant period of time behind bars, unable to cause further harm."
