Preston Crown Court Sentencing Results

Guoxi Wang was involved in a sophisticated cannabis farm operation in an industrial unit on Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool. The setup included lights, fans, and ventilation systems across two floors, with thousands of cannabis plants and seedlings potentially valued at £200,000. He was driving a van suspected of transporting cannabis when stopped by Lancashire Police on November 30, 2023, and was arrested along with others.

Long Wen was found inside an industrial unit on Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool, where a sophisticated cannabis farm was operating. The setup included lights, fans, and ventilation systems across two floors, with thousands of cannabis plants and seedlings potentially valued at £200,000. The electricity supply had been bypassed, and he was arrested on November 30, 2023, along with others involved.

Wenjun Chen was found inside an industrial unit on Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool, where a sophisticated cannabis farm was operating. The setup included lights, fans, and ventilation systems across two floors, with thousands of cannabis plants and seedlings potentially valued at £200,000. The electricity supply had been bypassed, and he was arrested on November 30, 2023, along with others involved.

Ziming Guo was involved in a sophisticated cannabis farm operation in an industrial unit on Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool. The setup included lights, fans, and ventilation systems across two floors, with thousands of cannabis plants and seedlings potentially valued at £200,000. He was a passenger in a van stopped by Lancashire Police on November 30, 2023, suspected of transporting cannabis, and was arrested along with others.

Nigel Howitt was involved in a county lines drug operation supplying large quantities of Class A heroin from Merseyside to Barrow. On April 12, 2024, police executed a search warrant at his home on Cameron Street, where they found him in bed and discovered 80 wraps of heroin weighing 35 grams, valued between £800 and £1,600, hidden under the duvet and on a cabinet. He suffered a medical episode during the search and was later arrested on April 28, 2024. Evidence from his mobile phone showed he used terminology consistent with drug supply and was working for the 'Jack' crime group as a 'cuckoo', where his home was taken over for exploitation purposes.

Michael Brennan was stopped in his car in April 2024 by officers from Preston Task Force on Hawarden Road in Fishwick. A search revealed a large quantity of heroin and cocaine, and a further search of a nearby address found drugs worth over £50,000. He was convicted of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Saleem Chaudhri, 46, of Waterside, Blackburn, took possession of a Toyota estate from a drugs courier and drove it to a unit in Blackburn. Police seized 217 kilos of cocaine, worth £17.2 million, imported from Belgium, some hidden inside blocks of cheese and others in bin bags. Evidence showed he agreed to sell more than 2,000 kilos of cocaine, worth over £70 million, between September 2022 and May 2023. Nearly £10,000 in cash was found in his home.

David Levi led a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 in supermarket bucket collections across the UK by posing as representatives for charities such as Children In Need, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, The Children’s Society, The Christie Charitable Fund, and Mind. They used fake ID badges, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume to deceive donors. Less than 10% of the funds were passed to the charities, with the rest pocketed by the gang. The fraud involved setting up stalls in supermarkets under false pretences, including threats to employees if access was denied. Police raided his premises in 2017, leading to his conviction.

Kaysha Beck supported a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 through supermarket bucket collections for charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The fraud involved using fake IDs, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume to deceive donors, with most funds diverted away from the charities. Her role included logistical assistance in the scheme that exploited public goodwill and involved threats to secure permissions.

Howard Collins was involved in a gang that fraudulently gathered at least £500,000 through supermarket bucket collections for charities such as The Children’s Society and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The group employed deceptive tactics, including fake IDs, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume, to collect donations that were largely kept by the fraudsters rather than donated to the intended causes. The scheme undermined public trust and involved threats to secure collection permissions.

Roy Ferguson participated in a gang that collected at least £500,000 fraudulently in supermarket bucket collections for charities including Children In Need and Mind. The fraudsters used fake identification, banners, and a Pudsey Bear outfit to solicit donations, with the majority of funds pocketed instead of being passed to the charities. The operation involved deceiving the public and shop owners through false claims of authorisation.

Martin Ebanks was a bogus collector in a gang that defrauded the public of at least £500,000 through supermarket bucket collections for charities like Children In Need. The fraud involved using fake IDs and a Pudsey Bear costume to collect donations, with most funds pocketed by the group instead of being given to the charities. The operation exploited public generosity and involved misleading shop owners.

William Ormand was part of a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 in supermarket bucket collections by misrepresenting themselves as representatives for charities like Children In Need and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The group used fake IDs, banners, and a Pudsey Bear costume, keeping most donations for themselves. Less than 10% of traced funds went to the charities, exploiting public goodwill through deceitful practices such as threatening shop employees.

Stephen Chesterman acted as a bogus collector in a gang that fraudulently collected at least £500,000 in supermarket bucket collections for charities including Mind and The Christie Charitable Fund. The group used deceptive methods such as fake banners and a Pudsey Bear outfit to solicit donations, keeping the majority for themselves and betraying public trust through false representations.

Darren Parker, a 43-year-old finance director at Storetech Engineering Ltd in Clitheroe, embezzled £255,304.84 from the company between 2014 and 2020 by setting himself up as a 'superuser' on the online banking system. He used the funds for prostitutes, hotel rooms, foreign holidays, home improvements, and online shopping at retailers like Argos, Amazon, and River Island. The fraud was discovered in August 2020 by a colleague after unpaid invoices and suspicious early-morning payments were noticed during lockdown when Parker worked from home.

Neil Arkwright was responsible for the supply and distribution of huge quantities of drugs, with at least 10kg of cocaine and 18kg of cannabis passing through his hands, as evidenced by Encrochat. The police investigation and prosecution established his involvement in organised crime activities.

Philip Jenkinson was responsible for the supply and distribution of huge quantities of drugs, with at least 10kg of cocaine and 18kg of cannabis passing through his hands, as evidenced by Encrochat. The police investigation and prosecution established his involvement in organised crime activities.

Amar Hussain, 30, of Higher Antley Street, Accrington, headed up The General Line OCG, running a lucrative drug supply network involving heroin and crack cocaine. The line operated 24/7, receiving around 100 calls or texts per day over 170 days, generating £340,000. He bought drugs in bulk, managed phones, groomed dealers, and continued operations while on trial for an unrelated matter.

Aleem Mahmood, 19, of Garbett Street, Accrington, acted as a street dealer for The General Line OCG, selling drugs on the streets.

Bilal Yousaf, 27, of Richmond Road, Accrington, taxi driver who provided transport for Amar Hussain and Hmaad Bashir while they engaged in drug-dealing activities for The General Line OCG.

Bradley Ridsdale, 22, of Weardale Avenue, Northumberland, was trusted to handle and retain large quantities of Class A drugs, cash, and dealer phones for The Flash Line OCG.

Brandon Wilson, 18, of Higher Antley Street, Accrington, acted as a street dealer for The General Line OCG, selling drugs in Accrington.

Connor Coulburn, 26, of Dale Street, Bacup, was involved in various roles within The General Line OCG, including organising and dealing Class A drugs on the streets of Accrington.

Colin Cardwell, 24, of St Paul’s Court, Accrington, was trusted to handle large quantities of Class A drugs and cash for The Flash Line OCG.

David Pye, 43, of Leger Court, Accrington, ran his own dealer line for personal gain, contributing to the influx of crack cocaine and heroin in Accrington.

Ella Smith, 21, of Dickens Road, Chorley, partner of Thomas Edwards, helped the conspiracy by taking phone calls to the dealer line, packaging drugs, and allowing her home to be used as a base for The General Line OCG.