Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.

 

Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.

A "privileged" racing driver has been jailed with 11 other drug smugglers. Crown Court heard he was head of a gang moving drugs from Eastern Europe along the M4 corridor to London, western England and south Wales.

Kilby was heavily in debt and turned to crime to maintain his lifestyle of fast cars and high living.

Raids on properties

Kilby was jailed in June but his conviction, and those of the rest of the gang, can now be reported following the conclusion of another trial.

In an undercover operation between Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset Police, officers seized 3kg of cocaine as it was being ferried between London and Cheltenham in October 2010.

Another 1kg of the drug was intercepted in Cheltenham in February 2011 and 2.5kg was discovered in raids on properties in Cheltenham, Staverton, Bristol and London in July 2011.

The gang of 12 drug dealers from Gloucestershire, Bristol and London received sentences of between 18 years and four years seven months.

It can now be reported Kilby, who was jailed in June, and Vladan Vujovic, 43, of Grange Road, London were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Both were jailed for 18 years.

Kilby built and raced cars with the company he owned, Ajec Racing

Richard Jones, 42, of Bradley Stoke, Bristol, was sentenced to 15 years for the same offence, and Mark Poole, 47, from Portishead, was sentenced to nine years seven months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Police said Kilby sourced the drug in London from an East European criminal gang, which included Vujovic.

Vujovic ran a baggage handling company at Heathrow Airport and was said to receive the cocaine before it was distributed around the South West and Wales.

Kilby is the former husband of Flora Vestey, daughter of Lord Vestey, and was owner of motor racing firm Ajec Racing which was based in Staverton.

He was heavily in debt and turned to crime to maintain his lifestyle of fast cars and high living.

'Well-connected socialite'

In a separate charge, Kilby also pleaded guilty to stealing money from the charity Help for Heroes and was sentenced to 10 months, to run concurrently with his 18-year sentence.

He organised a charity race day at Gloucestershire Airport in July 2010, but failed to pass on between £3,500 and £4,000 in proceeds to the charity Help for Heroes.

Det Insp Steve Bean, from Gloucestershire Police, said Kilby was the main man.

"He portrayed himself as a well-connected socialite and businessman, whilst indulging his ambition as a minor league racing driver.

Police seized 6.5kg of drugs during the operation

"Despite a privileged background, the reality was that his lifestyle was funded by the ill-gotten gains of drug dealing.

"He continually lied and blamed others in an attempt to distance himself from the conspiracy.

"He displayed an air of arrogance and thought he could get away with it because he didn't get his hands dirty."

The majority of the gang were jailed in June, but reporting restrictions meant it could not be reported until now, after the sentencing of the remaining gang members.

Others members of the gang to be sentenced were:

• David Chapman, 29, from Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and was sentenced to nine years.
• William Garnier, 31, from Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs and was sentenced six years and eight months.
• Garry Burrell, 46, from Easton, Bristol, and John Tomlin, 28, from Newtown, Gloucestershire both pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and were sentenced to six years and six months and four years and six months respectively.
• Timothy Taylor, 40, from Bristol was found guilty of supplying Class A drugs and was sentenced to four years and seven months.
• Brian Barrett, 48, from Keynsham was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to 10 years.
• Scott Everest, 39, from Clevedon was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for seven years.

Jonathan Tanner, 45, from Warminster was sentenced to 18 months for possession with intent to supply of cannabis, but was cleared of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Darren Weetch, 38, from Bristol, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He was sentenced to 16 months.

Officers also worked with Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police during the operation.

Police: Just-freed drug dealer found with $19,000 in cocaine - NJ.com

Police: Just-freed drug dealer found with $19,000 in cocaine - NJ.com: "suspected drug dealer recently released after a nine-year stint in federal prison was taken into custody again this week after authorities allegedly found him in possession of nearly $19,000 worth of cocaine.
Thomas Earl Lee Jr., 40, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Robbinsville after a traffic stop by township police. His vehicle had been followed by detectives from the Special Investigations Unit of the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office throughout the day after he was picked up from his Moreland Avenue home in Trenton by a woman at about 11 a.m. and driven north into New York City."

Police: Just-freed drug dealer found with $19,000 in cocaine - NJ.com

Police: Just-freed drug dealer found with $19,000 in cocaine - NJ.com: "suspected drug dealer recently released after a nine-year stint in federal prison was taken into custody again this week after authorities allegedly found him in possession of nearly $19,000 worth of cocaine.
Thomas Earl Lee Jr., 40, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Robbinsville after a traffic stop by township police. His vehicle had been followed by detectives from the Special Investigations Unit of the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office throughout the day after he was picked up from his Moreland Avenue home in Trenton by a woman at about 11 a.m. and driven north into New York City."

timesofmalta.com - Charged with trafficking heroin in prison

timesofmalta.com - Charged with trafficking heroin in prison: "Josette Bickle, 40, Valletta, was charged with trafficking 6.5 grammes of the drug between 2006 and 2008. She was also accused of trying to import heroin into prison.
The court heard that Ms Bickle was found out during an inquiry that had been held at the prisons.
Lawyer Franco Debono was defence counsel."

timesofmalta.com - Charged with trafficking heroin in prison

timesofmalta.com - Charged with trafficking heroin in prison: "Josette Bickle, 40, Valletta, was charged with trafficking 6.5 grammes of the drug between 2006 and 2008. She was also accused of trying to import heroin into prison.
The court heard that Ms Bickle was found out during an inquiry that had been held at the prisons.
Lawyer Franco Debono was defence counsel."

Terrence Bowler, 40, of Kingston, Surrey sentenced to 16 years

Terrence Bowler, 40, of Kingston, Surrey sentenced to 16 years. He Had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cannabis and conspiracy to launder money. The judge told him: ''You are described as a senior controlling figure in the criminal group. You attended regular 'board meetings' to plan the operations, you were seen to brief new recruits to the organisation, you rented the premises to store drugs, and others to store cash.'' The court had heard that the criminals were receiving the drugs at Harwich ferry port in Essex before transferring it to a warehouse in Chatham, Kent. But after the seizure they changed tactics, shipping the drugs to Hull and on to a warehouse in Leeds. The cannabis was then taken to a number of lock-up garages in places including Kingston, Worcester Park, Epsom and Ashtead. Much of the cash was laundered at an east London bureau de change, the World Currency Exchange, where gang members took holdalls stuffed with up to £20,000. A money counting machine recovered from the bureau de change had processed 520,000 individual notes - the equivalent of £10 million in £20 bills. The judge said the prosecution was right to describe the conspiracies contained in the case as drug smuggling and money laundering "on a massive scale". The wholesale value of £62 million of the drugs involved would have been "very much more" at street prices.
"It was imported into the UK and distributed, and the money was expertly laundered," he said. "The conspirators took care that the money and drugs were never together. I heard expert evidence that this was a deliberate decision so that, in the event of a police raid, the conspirators would not lose the money and drugs at once."
He added that the money laundering operation was highly successful, and succeeded in concealing large sums of money, much of it abroad, which may never be recovered.
"I have no doubt that large sums of money have been concealed abroad. Others of you have invested in property abroad." The court heard that the police had the gang under surveillance for 14 months from August 2007 to November 2008 and when the men were arrested officers seized 2,125lb (964kg) of skunk and £550,000 in cash.
Timothy Cray, prosecuting, said there was clear evidence to suggest the seizures were "just the tip of a large criminal iceberg".

The judge handed out 14-year jail terms to Peter Moran, 37, of Fulham, west London, and Mark Kinnimont, 40, of Surbiton, Surrey, who were said to be high up in the gang's hierarchy. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime. Roger Alexander, 44, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, who sold much of the imported product, earning £150 to £175 per kilo, was jailed for eight and a half years. He admitted conspiracy to supply controlled goods and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime. Liam Salter, 39, of Tadworth, Surrey, and Timothy Sullivan, 38, of Epsom, Surrey, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime, were jailed for seven years. David Couchman, 38, of Southwark, south London, who admitted similar offences, received six and a half years. Asim Bashir, 35, of Ilford, Essex, who ran the bureau de change, making sure the drug money was included with legitimate cash and laundered through the financial system, received six years. He was convicted of laundering the proceeds of crime. Barrie Burn, 60, of Bristol, received four years, and Peter Brown, 37, of Kingston, three and a half years. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs. A driver for the gang, James Hay, 31, of Ashtead, Surrey, who was found guilty of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs after he was caught with 20kg of cannabis, received three and a half years.
Andrew West, 36, of Tadworth, another courier for the gang, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime, received 18 months.

Terrence Bowler, 40, of Kingston, Surrey sentenced to 16 years

Terrence Bowler, 40, of Kingston, Surrey sentenced to 16 years. He Had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cannabis and conspiracy to launder money. The judge told him: ''You are described as a senior controlling figure in the criminal group. You attended regular 'board meetings' to plan the operations, you were seen to brief new recruits to the organisation, you rented the premises to store drugs, and others to store cash.'' The court had heard that the criminals were receiving the drugs at Harwich ferry port in Essex before transferring it to a warehouse in Chatham, Kent. But after the seizure they changed tactics, shipping the drugs to Hull and on to a warehouse in Leeds. The cannabis was then taken to a number of lock-up garages in places including Kingston, Worcester Park, Epsom and Ashtead. Much of the cash was laundered at an east London bureau de change, the World Currency Exchange, where gang members took holdalls stuffed with up to £20,000. A money counting machine recovered from the bureau de change had processed 520,000 individual notes - the equivalent of £10 million in £20 bills. The judge said the prosecution was right to describe the conspiracies contained in the case as drug smuggling and money laundering "on a massive scale". The wholesale value of £62 million of the drugs involved would have been "very much more" at street prices.
"It was imported into the UK and distributed, and the money was expertly laundered," he said. "The conspirators took care that the money and drugs were never together. I heard expert evidence that this was a deliberate decision so that, in the event of a police raid, the conspirators would not lose the money and drugs at once."
He added that the money laundering operation was highly successful, and succeeded in concealing large sums of money, much of it abroad, which may never be recovered.
"I have no doubt that large sums of money have been concealed abroad. Others of you have invested in property abroad." The court heard that the police had the gang under surveillance for 14 months from August 2007 to November 2008 and when the men were arrested officers seized 2,125lb (964kg) of skunk and £550,000 in cash.
Timothy Cray, prosecuting, said there was clear evidence to suggest the seizures were "just the tip of a large criminal iceberg".

The judge handed out 14-year jail terms to Peter Moran, 37, of Fulham, west London, and Mark Kinnimont, 40, of Surbiton, Surrey, who were said to be high up in the gang's hierarchy. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime. Roger Alexander, 44, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, who sold much of the imported product, earning £150 to £175 per kilo, was jailed for eight and a half years. He admitted conspiracy to supply controlled goods and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime. Liam Salter, 39, of Tadworth, Surrey, and Timothy Sullivan, 38, of Epsom, Surrey, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime, were jailed for seven years. David Couchman, 38, of Southwark, south London, who admitted similar offences, received six and a half years. Asim Bashir, 35, of Ilford, Essex, who ran the bureau de change, making sure the drug money was included with legitimate cash and laundered through the financial system, received six years. He was convicted of laundering the proceeds of crime. Barrie Burn, 60, of Bristol, received four years, and Peter Brown, 37, of Kingston, three and a half years. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply controlled drugs. A driver for the gang, James Hay, 31, of Ashtead, Surrey, who was found guilty of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs after he was caught with 20kg of cannabis, received three and a half years.
Andrew West, 36, of Tadworth, another courier for the gang, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime, received 18 months.

Thomas (T.J.) Gleason, the 34-year-old chef at the Ruddy and Dean North Shore Steak House, and another man, Ralph Fleischmann, 40, arrested

Thomas (T.J.) Gleason, the 34-year-old chef at the Ruddy and Dean North Shore Steak House, and another man, Ralph Fleischmann, 40, have both been arrested on felony drug dealing charges, accused of selling $100 worth of cocaine at the bar.
The restaurant, which sits just a block away from both the state Supreme Court building house and the NYPD 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George, has long been a haunt for attorneys and police officers who work in the area.
As authorities tell it, an undercover police officer walked in on the night of Jan. 14 and spoke with Gleason, telling him, “I need $100 of powder.” Gleason’s response, according to court papers, was “I’m out. I’ll make a call. Wait by the bar and I’ll let you know when he’s here.” Gleason then made a call to someone named “Pookie,” according to a law enforcement source, and about an hour and a half later, Fleischmann showed up. The officer gave Gleason $100, and after a conversation, “both defendants engaged in a transaction underneath the bar ledge,” according to court papers. After that, Gleason handed the officer a Ziploc bag and a plastic twist of cocaine, authorities allege.Authorities say Fleischmann was the restaurant’s manager, but both the bar’s owner, Danny Mills, and the current manager, Kim Hogan, said that’s simply not true.
“Ralph never worked here,” she said. “Ralph has nothing to do with this bar.”
Mills called the drug bust an “isolated incident,” sparked by a 311 complaint, and said the arrests shouldn’t reflect badly on his business or reputation.
“We are a clean place,” Mills said. Gleason, he said, made a bad decision by calling someone up to get drugs at the request of a stranger. “He made a silly decision, helping a guy he didn’t know. And there are consequences.... he’s fired,” Mills said. “He made that choice, and for that he lost his job.” Mills also took issue with a statement in the report that Fleischmann and Gleason were arrested inside the bar. The two men, he said, were arrested outside of the building. Both Gleason, of Cooper Terrace in New Springville, and Fleischmann, of the 100 block of Townsend Avenue in Clifton, face charges of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, as well as third-, fifth- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, said William J. Smith, a spokesman for District Attorney Daniel Donovan. They’ve since been released on $1,500 bail, pending return appearances to Stapleton Criminal Court on March 11. Neither could be reached for comment today.

Thomas (T.J.) Gleason, the 34-year-old chef at the Ruddy and Dean North Shore Steak House, and another man, Ralph Fleischmann, 40, arrested

Thomas (T.J.) Gleason, the 34-year-old chef at the Ruddy and Dean North Shore Steak House, and another man, Ralph Fleischmann, 40, have both been arrested on felony drug dealing charges, accused of selling $100 worth of cocaine at the bar.
The restaurant, which sits just a block away from both the state Supreme Court building house and the NYPD 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George, has long been a haunt for attorneys and police officers who work in the area.
As authorities tell it, an undercover police officer walked in on the night of Jan. 14 and spoke with Gleason, telling him, “I need $100 of powder.” Gleason’s response, according to court papers, was “I’m out. I’ll make a call. Wait by the bar and I’ll let you know when he’s here.” Gleason then made a call to someone named “Pookie,” according to a law enforcement source, and about an hour and a half later, Fleischmann showed up. The officer gave Gleason $100, and after a conversation, “both defendants engaged in a transaction underneath the bar ledge,” according to court papers. After that, Gleason handed the officer a Ziploc bag and a plastic twist of cocaine, authorities allege.Authorities say Fleischmann was the restaurant’s manager, but both the bar’s owner, Danny Mills, and the current manager, Kim Hogan, said that’s simply not true.
“Ralph never worked here,” she said. “Ralph has nothing to do with this bar.”
Mills called the drug bust an “isolated incident,” sparked by a 311 complaint, and said the arrests shouldn’t reflect badly on his business or reputation.
“We are a clean place,” Mills said. Gleason, he said, made a bad decision by calling someone up to get drugs at the request of a stranger. “He made a silly decision, helping a guy he didn’t know. And there are consequences.... he’s fired,” Mills said. “He made that choice, and for that he lost his job.” Mills also took issue with a statement in the report that Fleischmann and Gleason were arrested inside the bar. The two men, he said, were arrested outside of the building. Both Gleason, of Cooper Terrace in New Springville, and Fleischmann, of the 100 block of Townsend Avenue in Clifton, face charges of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, as well as third-, fifth- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, said William J. Smith, a spokesman for District Attorney Daniel Donovan. They’ve since been released on $1,500 bail, pending return appearances to Stapleton Criminal Court on March 11. Neither could be reached for comment today.