DISGRACE TO OUR TRADE
HACKNEY DRIVER WHO SUPPLIED KILOS OF DRUGS ACROSS MERSEYSIDE JAILED FOR OVER 14 YEARS
A taxi-driving EncroChat dealer who volunteered with veterans with addiction issues flooded Merseyside with multi-kilos of class A drugs. James Wilson, 37, admitted he saw the hypocrisy between his “exemp- lary” life as a hackney driver and charity volunteer with his secret life sourcing, brokering and supplying multi-kilos of class A and B drugs. Liverpool Crown Court heard on January 26 that Wilson’s crimin- ality was uncovered following the notable EncroChat hack that gave European law enforcement agencies and UK authorities access to encrypted messages and images. Upon receipt of the messages, the police undertook the task of linking the encrypted handles to individuals - and in the case of Wilson, he was identified as the user of the handle “DireFortress”. Stella Hayden, prosecuting, told the court that during the course of communications with other users the defendant made reference to his children’s names and the fact he drove a hackney carriage, as well as sending images from the back garden of his house. The court heard Wilson, from Liverpool, was in communication with 22 other EncroChat handles between January 2019 and June 2020 - but Ms Hayden said the Crown believed the data showed the defendant had been engaged in the supply of drugs for a significantly longer period. The court was told about multiple messages which evidenced the conspiracy to supply cocaine. On April 13 2020, the defendant contacted “NuttyBoom” to arrange
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to purchase 2kgs of cocaine, indi- cating that it was for “swill”, which means it would be con- verted to crack cocaine. The following day arrangements were made for collection. In a conversation on April 30 2020, the defendant discussed with “SpookyOwl” the “breakdown” of the 4kgs of cocaine they had recently supplied. “SpookyOwl” confirmed that 1kg was split three ways and the other three kgs were sold for £39,000 each. Ms Hayden added the defendant kept a running tally of bills owed and cocaine sourced and supplied. By way of example, under the title “Timmy Bill” dated May 6 2019, the defendant recorded entries totalling 23kgs of cocaine. On the same date, under the title “Gym Bill”, the defendant recorded entries totalling 18kgs. During the same time period EncroChat messages showed Wilson arranging to buy heroin from “RoyalCleaner” - and notes referencing a tally of his bills. He also bought and supplied large quantities of class B drug cannabis. Ms Hayden said that following the EncroChat hack, Wilson continued to sell Class A drugs. When his house was raided by police on September 14 2023, a Google Pixel phone and a notebook were seized. Ms Hayden said: “Messages present on the device showed continued
involvement in the wholesale supply of cocaine. There are repeated references to “tops” and also significant qualities of cash. “Within the notebook seized there is a monthly breakdown of cocaine supplied. It is evident that in the period July to September 2023 the defendant supplied a total of 39kgs of cocaine.” On occasions he also acted as a “broker” to facilitate transactions, and on others he collected and distributed the drugs himself, using his hackney
carriage to
“travel legitimately in the lockdown period”. In total, the prosecution and defence agreed that he had been involved in the supply of 122.5kgs of cocaine and heroin, as well as a large quantity of cannabis. The defendant indicated guilty pleas in the Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty at his plea and trial preparation hearing in November. In his sentencing comments, Judge David Aubrey KC said the dad-of-two’s
role in supplying
drugs in Merseyside had fuelled a world of “desperation, misery and devastation”. He added Wilson was a “major player” in the “lucrative business” of drug supply and had a “complete disregard for the wellbeing of others”. Judge Aubrey
awarded the
defendant one third credit for his guilty pleas. He sentenced Wilson, who appeared in court via video link from HMP Altcourse, to 14 years, eight months in prison. Wilson will appear back before the courts later this year for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.
FEBRUARY 2024 PHTM
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