St Albans Crown Court Sentencing Results

Sedric Smith, 46, of Harrow, London, operated a county line known as the 'Dee' or 'D' line in St Albans, selling heroin and cocaine over a four-month period from June to October 2024. He used the address of a vulnerable woman without her consent as a base for his drug dealing activities. During a police warrant in October 2023, he was found with 50 wraps of crack cocaine with a street value of about £1,000, along with cash, multiple phones, and scales. He attempted to flush the drugs down the toilet when officers arrived.

Ryan Lee, 24, of Stevenage, was involved in a county lines drug dealing operation supplying class A drugs like cocaine and class B drugs like cannabis. He was arrested following an investigation by Herts police's County Lines Investigation Unit, during which class A and class B drugs with a street value of more than £5,000, along with a large amount of cash, were seized.

Frances Noble faked a neurological condition and falsely claimed to be bedbound, deceiving Hertfordshire County Council into providing her with payments for round-the-clock care between January 15, 2007, and November 26, 2018. She received a total of £702,905, which was intended for her care but was misused for personal purposes. She employed her daughter and son-in-law in the scheme and was placed under surveillance, where neighbours observed her walking and performing activities without assistance.

Flora Mendes, a struck-off solicitor, exploited the Grenfell Tower fire scheme by submitting fraudulent immigration applications for 14 immigrants, fabricating addresses in Grenfell Tower between October 2020 and March 2021 to claim eligibility under a Home Office concession for survivors. She charged victims an average of £2,800 each, netting approximately £39,000. Applications featured inconsistencies like non-existent flat numbers and common phrases. Additionally, between 2018 and 2023, she provided unqualified immigration services to five people, including via the Windrush scheme, duping them into paying large sums while submitting low-cost or fee-waived applications and pocketing the fees.

Jonathan Dunn, aged 50, from Clifton in Bedfordshire, was arrested after police raided a property in Baldock in November 2023. Officers seized 7.5kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of up to £905,000 and £120,000 in cash.

Lee Moran, 42, of Birch Court, Howlands, Welwyn Garden City, was arrested following a warrant on February 26, 2024. Around £750 in cash was seized, and he was linked to supplying drugs in the area.

Christopher Mancini advertised genuine Rolex watches on eBay between 2021 and 2023, but convinced victims to complete transactions outside the platform by trading cash with him in person. Mancini used fake ID, counterfeit paperwork and packaging to deceive his victims. One victim traded a genuine Rolex watch, valued at £12,000, as part of a purchase. The 39-year-old from Vesta Close, Milton Keynes, made more than £86,000 selling counterfeit Rolex watches.

Arjan Lisaj was involved in a drugs gang that dropped cocaine packages from a small aircraft flying from France. He worked at the car wash business used as a front and was arrested in September 2024 near the site. During the arrest, he threw a phone into a stream, and 2kg blocks of cocaine were found in the car wash office. The gang avoided radar systems and UK airspace documentation.

Martynas Piecia led a Hertfordshire drugs gang that used a small aircraft to drop cocaine packages from France into the UK. The gang operated on the Hertfordshire and Essex border, using a car wash business as a front. They liaised with contacts abroad for at least three flights from Cherbourg, avoiding radar systems. Piecia was arrested in September 2024 near the car wash site, and a video on his phone showed him examining a cocaine package matching those seized.

Yassar Aftab was involved in the ‘Max’ drug line, supplying heroin and crack cocaine in Hemel Hempstead between February 2022 and September 2023. He was arrested in September 2023 after a police investigation, with seizures of Class A drugs, cash, and handsets used in the drug network.

Rolandas Bauza was part of a drugs gang that used a plane to deliver cocaine packages from France. The gang operated from the Hertfordshire and Essex border, using a car wash as a cover. He was arrested in September 2024 near the site, in possession of £31,700 in cash. The gang made at least three flights from Cherbourg, avoiding UK airspace regulations.

Temitayo Ogbaro was involved in running the ‘Max’ drug line, supplying heroin and crack cocaine in Hemel Hempstead between February 2022 and September 2023. Police conducted a long-running investigation, arresting him in September 2023 and seizing large amounts of Class A drugs, cash, and handsets used in the drug network.

Tomas Bauza was involved in supplying controlled drugs as part of a Hertfordshire gang that used aircraft to drop cocaine from France. He was arrested at his home in September 2024, where 54kg of cocaine worth £4.2 million was found in his loft, along with evidence of a cannabis factory. Prior to the shipment, he travelled to Dorset to scout drop sites, and his fingerprints were on packaging from a cocaine parcel.

Abul Kasim was arrested on August 11, 2023, in Ransome Recreational Ground, Hitchin, with approximately £1,800 worth of class A drugs and £325 in cash. He was charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. Five days later, on August 16, 2023, in Windmill Hill, he was arrested again with £310 worth of drugs and £750 in cash, leading to two further counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He was also charged with possession of a bladed article (knife).

Ben Morris, aged 25, of Welwyn Garden City, was involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. He was arrested on September 5, 2023, during a police raid as part of operations targeting county lines drug dealing.

David Charles was involved in running a county lines drug network in Hemel Hempstead, using the homes of vulnerable people as a base to sell crack cocaine and heroin between May and December 2021. He was arrested following a long investigation by Herts Police’s specialist unit.

Joe Naulls-Buttigieg was involved in running a county lines drug network in Hemel Hempstead, using the homes of vulnerable people as a base to sell crack cocaine and heroin between May and December 2021. He was arrested following a long investigation by Herts Police’s specialist unit.

Tolga Ahmet was involved in running a county lines drug network in Hemel Hempstead, using the homes of vulnerable people as a base to sell crack cocaine and heroin between May and December 2021. He was arrested following a long investigation by Herts Police’s specialist unit.

Tyrese Abbas was involved in running a county lines drug network in Hemel Hempstead, using the homes of vulnerable people as a base to sell crack cocaine and heroin between May and December 2021. He was arrested following a long investigation by Herts Police’s specialist unit.