Footballer jailed for Gloucestershire drugs gang role

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32554083

Version 0 of 1.

Six men, including a former Cardiff City and QPR footballer, have been jailed for conspiring to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Police said the men plotted to bring hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs into Gloucestershire from London, Cardiff and Birmingham.

Leon Jeanne, who played for a number of clubs during his career, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Gang leader Marlon Douglas received a 13-year sentence.

'Enthusiasm'

Bristol Crown Court heard the gang ran a second-hand tyre business in Cheltenham, which was used as a cover to launder drugs money.

Douglas, from Gloucester, was discovered with a detailed business plan, describing how and where the drugs were to be sold, when he was arrested.

On sentencing Douglas, Judge Neil Ford QC said: "If you'd shown the same enthusiasm for something honest you would be a successful businessman."

Karl Jones from Gloucester was sentenced to eight years. David Cruse from Evesham received eight years.

Levi Kelly and Jamie Townsend, both from Cheltenham, received suspended sentences.

Officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary carried out undercover surveillance on the gang between May 2013 and January 2014.

Over 5kg of cannabis and over 1.5kg of cocaine, some of which was a strong as 89% pure, was recovered, police said.

During the investigation in December 2013, a high speed car chase took place in High Wycombe, after a car failed to stop on the M40.

Later, officers found a bag of cocaine hidden in a churchyard. Police said it would have been worth over £150,000 when cut to a street purity.

'Main main'

Det Sgt Matt Phillips from Gloucestershire Police said it was "a sophisticated operation" that saw a "significant quantity of high quality drugs being transported into the county, destined for the county's streets".

"Significantly, when we arrested him on return from Amsterdam in April 2013 he was also found in possession of a business plan for his drug dealing.

"It included a number of slang terms for the drugs, specified roles for certain named people, geographic locations to target and an idea of how much money he was going to charge for the drugs he would sell.

"At the end of the plan was a list of 'rules' that his staff had to abide by, such as counting all money received and only carrying as much as was required."

Eight other gang members previously received sentences up to six years 8 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.