Ex-Leeds turned EFL and non league participant Paul Shepherd has been jailed after being caught trafficking cocaine throughout the nation.
The 45 12 months previous was a part of a bunch of males who dealt in kilogrammes of cocaine had been caught when their coded cellphone messages had been cracked by the authorities.
Collectively, they’ve been jailed for a complete of 49 years following an investigation that started when the previous footballer (who performed in Leeds’ 3-0 defeat at Arsenal within the Premier League in 1996) was stopped by police whereas driving in Leeds.
An organised crime group that trafficked cocaine have been sentenced to a mixed 49 years behind bars.
It follows an NCA investigation beneath Op Venetic – the UK’s response to the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat.
Full story ⬇️https://t.co/mu7LUn72RD pic.twitter.com/jUUNtg7mh0
— Nationwide Crime Company (NCA) (@NCA_UK) September 6, 2023
NATIONAL CRIME AGENCY STATEMENT:
A West Yorkshire-based organised crime group that trafficked cocaine have been sentenced to a mixed 49 years behind bars.
Their jail phrases observe a Nationwide Crime Company investigation beneath Operation Venetic – the UK’s response to the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat.
Carl O’Flaherty, 38, Paul Shepherd, 45, Clinton Blakey, 38, and Dane Marshall, 42, all from Leeds, had been discovered to be members of the crime group that provided class A medicine throughout north west England.
The investigation started in April 2020 when former skilled footballer Shepherd – who performed for golf equipment together with Leeds United and Luton City – was stopped by police whereas driving in Leeds.
Officers searched the ex-footballer’s automotive and seized a fist-sized bag of cocaine and an EncroChat handset.
Forensic examination of the EncroChat machine unearthed messages proving the medication belonged to O’Flaherty, who had instructed Shepherd to maneuver and retailer them.
On the day of the arrest, O’Flaherty – the chief of the crime group – despatched a message to an affiliate stating Shepherd had £112,500 which was as a consequence of be taken to Liverpool on his behalf.
O’Flaherty ran the drug provide operation from numerous addresses in West Yorkshire.
One such property in Bradford was used as a laboratory in an unsuccessful try and extract cocaine from oil, and a second deal with in Leeds saved and pressed kilo blocks of the drug for onward provide.
On the Leeds property, officers discovered 13 kilos of amphetamine, massive portions of chemical substances used to dilute cocaine and gear that evidenced 12 kilos of cocaine was repackaged there.
The economics of O’Flaherty’s enterprise mannequin had been laid naked on EncroChat – he would buy three kilos of excessive purity cocaine for £123,000, dilute the medication with low-cost chemical substances and resell 4 kilos for £150,000.
Drug sellers one step down the provision chain would buy the cocaine, together with Blakey who was considered one of O’Flaherty’s common prospects.
EncroChat messages uncovered their enterprise relationship, because the pair exchanged pictures of cocaine blocks and mentioned pricing.
Blakey would add extra low-cost substances to the blocks of cocaine earlier than promoting them on at a revenue. He was additionally discovered to be concerned in supplying hashish.
Marshall, whose EncroChat username was ‘kingchef-uk’, was employed by O’Flaherty to dilute, press and repackage the cocaine blocks to be prepared for distribution – a task usually titled ‘chef’.
He additionally setup an organization named ‘Northface Landscaped Ltd’ to launder the money proceeds of the group’s exercise.
Investigators linked all the lads to the crime group utilizing EncroChat messaging information acquired after Shepherd’s April 2020 arrest.
O’Flaherty, Blakey and Marshall had been then arrested between Might and July in 2020.
Blakey failed to look at courtroom to face prices in October 2020 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
NCA investigators traced him to Madrid in 2021, the place he was arrested by Spanish Police. Nevertheless he fled once more after being given bail in Spain.
He was then arrested in Marbella in Might this 12 months following a surveillance operation and returned to the UK on 8 June the place he was instantly put into custody.
Right this moment [6 September] at Leeds Crown Courtroom O’Flaherty was sentenced to 17 years and 10 months imprisonment Shepherd to 9 years and 6 months and Marshall to 6 years and 6 months. Blakey was sentenced to 12 years, along with the remaining three years and 6 months from a separate medication conviction.
Nigel Coles, NCA Operations Supervisor, mentioned: “Our intensive investigation has dismantled a harmful prison organisation that provided massive portions of cocaine, a commerce that fuels intimidation and exploitation within the north west and all through the UK.
“It was clear from EncroChat messages that O’Flaherty headed up the group and stopped at nothing to line his personal pockets. The cocaine he was distributing would have undoubtedly contributed to violence and distress in our communities.
“On the NCA we’re dedicated to our mission of defending the general public from critical and organised crime, guaranteeing that hardened criminals reminiscent of these males are delivered to justice.”
In 2021, law enforcement officials raided his house earlier than then discovering an enormous stash of weapons, bullets and medicines.
A rifle and a cellphone present in Shepherd’s home primarily based in Chapel Allerton introduced down a community of criminals throughout the north of England.
He was caught after law enforcement officials stopped his automotive and located a block of cocaine, together with his property then searched in April in 2020 and officers discovered a Glock semi-automatic pistol, a Howa bolt-action rifle, 200 rounds of ammunition and small portions of hashish and crack cocaine, in addition to an EncroChat cellphone.
After the invention of the cellphone, the Nationwide Crime Company went on to launch an investigation as a part of Operation Venetic – UK regulation enforcement’s response to the encrypted Europe-based communication platform EncroChat.
Messages on the seized machine linked Shepherd to the firearms and triggered additional arrests and seizures throughout West Yorkshire, Merseyside and the North East.
These arrested included a Liverpool man named Gerard Wignall whose DNA was discovered on the rifle at Shepherd’s home. Wignall was jailed for a 12 months and 4 months.
Shepherd was discovered responsible of 4 prices referring to possessing a firearm and sophistication A medicine after a three-day trial at Leeds Crown Courtroom in 2021.
NCA Operations Supervisor, Nigel Coles, mentioned: “Shepherd went to nice lengths to accumulate harmful firearms that had been criminally sourced.
“We’re happy that the proof offered at courtroom this week has secured a responsible verdict and hope additional prices might be confirmed at a later date.
“The seriousness of gun crime can’t be underestimated. Had we not intercepted these weapons they’d have been used to threaten and intimidate others with the potential lack of life. Criminals like Shepherd, O’Flaherty and Kameka perpetuate violent crime and are solely motivated by monetary achieve. Lowering the provision of unlawful firearms stays a precedence for the NCA.”
SHEPHERD’S CAREER:
1995–1999 – Leeds United
1998 → Ayr United (mortgage) – 6 video games (1 aim)
1999 → Tranmere Rovers (mortgage) – 1 sport (0 targets)
1999–2000 – Ayr United – 21 video games (1 aim)
2000 – Keflavík ÍF
2000–2001 – Scunthorpe United – 1 sport (0 targets)
2001 – Luton City – 7 video games (0 targets)
2001–2002 – Oldham Athletic
2001–2002 → Scarborough (mortgage) – 10 video games (2 targets)
2002–2003 – Scarborough – 35 video games (6 targets)
2003–2004 – Leigh RMI – 29 video games (1 aim)
2004–2005 – Harrogate City
2005 – Stalybridge Celtic – 16 video games (2 targets)
Nationwide group
1997 – England U20 – 3 video games (1 aim)
Becoming a member of his native membership Leeds United from his college days, he gained England Youth caps however managed just one League look which got here in a 0-3 defeat at Arsenal in October 1996.
He endured mortgage spells on the likes of Ayr United and Tranmere Rovers earlier than resulting in a everlasting switch to the Scottish membership.
Shepherd then signed for Keflavik in Iceland, however Luton wanted full-back cowl as they fought to keep away from the drop in 2001, with Paul becoming a member of on a brief time period contract by Hatters supervisor Joe Kinnear and performed the final seven video games of a disastrous marketing campaign.
Paul was launched that summer time and turned out for Scarborough, Leigh RMI, Harrogate and Stalybridge earlier than hanging up his boots.
