A drug dealer used the Encrochat handle ‘Goldgrape’ to collect £1.4m for other criminals.
Thomas Jefferson Hawkes was jailed on Tuesday, August 9, at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis.
The 30-year-old, of Valerian Road in Claughton, was also convicted of money laundering.
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That related to a six month period between January and June 2020 where it is believed he collected in excess of £1.4m in cash on behalf of other Encrochat handles. The court also heard he was responsible for collecting and distributing 14kg of cocaine and 75kg of cannabis. He worked with other criminals, two of whom have already been jailed.
George Marsh, 33 years, of Park Road North, Birkenhead who was sentenced in December to 16 years imprisonment. He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine at Liverpool Crown Court.
The other co-conspirator was Bradley Luxton, 34 years, from Upton who was also jailed for 16 years in August 2021 after pleading guilty to three counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and converting criminal property.
Hawkes, of Valerian Road in Claughton, was jailed for 11 and a half years. He was charged in December 2021 as part of Merseyside Police’s response to Operation Venetic - an international operation targeting criminals who used the mobile encrypted messaging platform Encrochat, in an attempt to evade detection.
Merseyside Police’s Detective Sergeant James Boardman said: “This a very good result as we disrupted a chain of supply of large quantities of drugs. I hope this sends a clear message to criminals that crime doesn’t pay – we’ll continue to be relentless in our pursuit of offenders.”
Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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