RealityTV star, 27, jailed for gang drug dealing
A BAD-BOY reality TV star who was “instrumental” in dealing drugs in a seaside town has been jailed.
Leeroy Reed, 27, starred in MTV show The Valleys and later tried to launch a career as a rapper.
He released a single in 2013 called Can’t Get Enough, which peaked at number 37 in the UK singles chart.
But he has been jailed for 22 months after being convicted of being part of a cocaine and cannabis gang.
Tattooed Reed and two fellow gang members were arrested in August and found guilty of drug dealing last week.
A court heard Reed’s accomplice, Owen Morgan, 23, was arrested on suspicion of supplying cocaine during a night out.
A spokeswoman for South Wales Police said officers then searched Morgan’s home and found phones with text messages linking him to Reed and third gang member Harry Griffiths, 19.
She said: “Among the evidence found at his property were mobile phones which linked both Reed and Griffiths to drug supply operation.
“Both were subsequently arrested and all three were convicted of being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of cannabis.”
She added that Reed and Morgan were “instrumental in supplying drugs in and around Porthcawl”.
Reed, of North Cornelly, admitted supplying drugs and was jailed for 22 months at Cardiff Crown Court.
Morgan, of Porthcawl, was also convicted of possessing and supplying cocaine and was jailed for 30 months, while Griffiths, also of Porthcawl, was handed a 12-month suspended sentence.
Detective Inspector Dean Taylor said: “Illegal drugs have a devastating impact on our communities, inflicting misery upon users and their families and local residents.
“We hope this sentence sends a strong message to anyone else who sees Porthcawl or the surrounding area as a potential marketplace in which to ply their illegal trade.
“As always, I would urge anyone with information about illegal drug activity in their community to tell us what they know via 101. We can and do act upon intelligence from the public and we will continue in our determined efforts to target those involved in the supply of drugs.
“An investigation is now under way into the trio’s finances, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to ensure that they are unable to benefit in any way from their criminality.”
Just days before he appeared in court Reed tweeted: “My luck’s slowly recovering watch me clean up on Halloween.”
In August 2013 he was found guilty of slamming an ex-girlfriend’s head into the door of a BMW but was given a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £630 in court costs.