FOOTBALLERS WHO TURNED TO CRIME
PLAYING football professionally and the financial rewards that come with it can be a dream for many young people. But a number of talented athletes have found themselves living a double life involving crime after their careers came to an end.
Several footballers who have played for Welsh clubs have ended up on the wrong side of the law.
Among them are sportsmen who have played in the Premiership and Wales’ biggest teams Cardiff City FC and Swansea City FC.
Here is a round-up of the footballers in Wales who have been jailed for various offences, ranging from drugs to wounding with intent:
Layton Maxwell
A property belonging to former professional footballer Layton Maxwell was used as a safe house by a major drugs gang.
The 43-year-old, who played for Liverpool and Cardiff City, was paid £500 a month to be a cocaine “courier” for the gang, which sourced drugs from Liverpool and operated across Cardiff, Newport and Porthcawl.
Maxwell, of Rhiwbina Hill, and 13 other gang members were jailed in October 2022 for a total of more than 140 years after police uncovered deals involving 400kg of drugs.
The gang was exposed after French police gained access to the encrypted EncroChat messaging system in 2020 and passed information to the UK’s National Crime Agency.
As part of Operation Venetic, police raided a property in Radyr owned by Maxwell. The amount of money passing through his hands amounted to £270,000.
The gang was dealing in hundreds of kilograms of drugs worth several million pounds. Maxwell was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
The footballer was 19 when he scored on his Liverpool debut but he was released two years later.
Although he won 14 caps for Wales at under-21 level, Maxwell dropped down the divisions and finished his career in the League of Wales.
His 11 clubs included Cardiff City, Barry Town, Swansea City and Carmarthen Town. After his playing days ended, Maxwell became a Vodafone engineer and spent time in charge of Cardiff Draconians in the third tier of Welsh football.
Ibrahim Meite
Former Cardiff City footballer Ibrahim Meite was jailed after stabbing a man in a “dispute” over a girl.
The 26-year-old, who played for the Bluebirds between 2017 and 2019, attacked 24-year-old Rio Amos on a residential street in London in September 2019, knifing him in the back in front of terrified members of the public.
The former striker was also injured in the broad daylight incident, with Amos producing a larger knife and stabbing him while he ran away from the scene.
Both were arrested for wounding with intent after being taken to hospital to receive treatment.
Kingston Crown Court heard Meite, who also played for League Two side Crawley Town, Derry City and FC Pirin Blagoevgrad in Bulgaria, had approached Amos while driving his white Mercedes along a residential street in Putney on the morning of September 12, 2019.
A third man, Leon Hughes, was in the front passenger seat.
The defendant, of Roehampton, was caught on CCTV getting out of his car to engage his victim in conversation, while Hughes distracted him, performing a “pincer movement” to make Amos split his attention between the two men.
The former footballer then stabbed him in the back in front of “clearly alarmed” members of the public, including a schoolgirl and a baby.
As Meite fled the scene, Amos produced a larger knife, described by one eye-witness as a “foot long” and chased after him. The 26-year-old tripped while being chased and suffered a number of wounds to his chest, loin and wrist.
Meite was found guilty of wounding with intent, unlawful wounding and possession of a knife, with the former footballer sentenced to 15 months in prison in December 2022.
Causso Darame
The “talented footballer”, who was once on the books of Swansea City FC, turned to dealing heroin and cocaine because he was “too proud” to receive benefits. He was caught after police saw him engaged in a drug deal in a children’s park.
The 24-year-old was pursued by police in Cardiff on June 16, 2023, when he tried to flee on his bike but was found hiding under a car. He was later found in possession of up to £1,000 worth of heroin and cocaine.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard police were on a “proactive” patrol in Adamsdown when they saw two men approach another group of three men sat on a bench in Cemetery Park.
They suspected a drug deal was taking place and approached the groups, which caused them to scatter.
Darame attempted to leave the park on his bike but later abandoned it and ran into Howard Gardens where he was detained. He was searched and found in possession of £95 in cash and a black Nokia phone but no drugs were discovered.
A short time later, a member of the public approached the officers and told them they had seen the defendant throw something into a bush. A quick search resulted in a vape box which contained six wraps of cocaine and 13 wraps of heroin.
When Darame’s home was searched, further drugs were found including 3.85g of heroin powder and seven wraps of heroin. A total of 8.26g of heroin and 1g of cocaine was found, with a street value between £740 and £1,000. He was sentenced to a total of 28 months’ imprisonment in August 2023.
In court, defence barrister Martha Smith-Higgins said her client was signed to Swansea City FC as a teenager, after being provided with a scholarship and sponsorship.
But at the age of 19, he was released from his contract and was unable to make connections with other clubs.
As a result, Darame’s life was said to “spiral out of control” and he turned to using drugs. He ended up racking up a debt and began dealing drugs in order to pay off that debt.
Kaid Mohamed
Former professional footballer Kaid Mohamed was found with more than £11,000 worth of cocaine and almost £13,000 when police raided a house in Cardiff.
The 37-year-old had been using the home of his mother, who had recently died, to store drugs with the assistance of his half-brother Jacob Howell.
When police conducted a raid at the house in Heol Trelai, Ely, on February 21, 2021, they found 144g of cocaine with a street value of between £8,000 and £11,000.
He told officers that £12,890 found in the address was made from playing football but the reality was he was a drug dealer selling cocaine.
Throughout his career, Mohamed played for a number of clubs in the English and Welsh football leagues including Bristol Rovers, Newport County and Swindon Town.
He was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment in July 2021.
Lee Brown
Brown, whose career was cut short due to injury, was among a threeman drugs gang sent to prison. The 44-year-old pleaded guilty to drugs offences after he was busted when police searched his property.
Brown, of Fleur De Lys Avenue, Pontllanfraith, admitted to having a quantity of cocaine in his possession and admitted he was concerned in the supplying of a quantity of the Class A drug.
Cocaine was found at the property with an estimated purity of around 80%. It’s believed the amount would have been worth around £30.
Hilary Roberts, for Brown, told the court the defendant had a football career that was cut short due to injury, which is believed to have led to a downward spiral.
Mr Roberts said: “He was a professional footballer. He was a very fit, active man. The curtailment of his sporting career was something he found difficult to cope with. Like many men who are very dedicated to sport at a young age his education suffered and he didn’t have a lot to fall back on.”
The court was told this situation led him to drink and then drugs.
Mr Roberts added: “He has support from family who are very concerned about him and he will have support to get back on his feet. He doesn’t want to make excuses.”
Brown was jailed for 33 months in April 2021.