Boss of cocaine gang led lavish life on profits
Eight men locked up for total of 41 years
THE LEADER of a cocaine-dealing gang enjoyed a lavish lifestyle off the huge profits generated by their illegal operation.
Eight men who were involved in a large-scale conspiracy supplying the class A drug have been jailed for a total of 41 years.
Ring leader Cyril Hooton, 38, was jailed for ten years after a court heard how it allowed him to spend over £100,000 on luxury cars, holidays and clothes.
Undercover officers managed to bring the gang members to justice after carrying out months of surveillance into their illegal activities.
Armed police stopped members of the gang in a van in the Beeston area of Leeds on February 2 last year, and seized keys to house in Moor Crescent Chase.
Officers went to the property and found a block of high-purity cocaine worth up to £100,000 in a safe. Weeks later officers followed Lee Griffiths to a house in Winrose Approach where they arrested him after finding £80,000 in cash “strewn” across the living room floor. On March 31 last year Harry Hooton and Andrew Riddler were arrested in the Old White Hart pub, Beeston, where they had met to exchange a £10,000 block of cocaine which was found in Riddler’s rucksack.
George Hazel-Owram, prosecuting, said: “Cyril Hooton played a leading role, benefited the most from the drugs and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.”
All eight men were sentenced for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Hooton also pleaded guilty to five offences of money laundering.
Those sentenced were: Cyril Hooton, 38, of Blenkinsop Way, Middleton, jailed for ten years; Harry Hooton, 41, of Sunnyview Terrace, Beeston, jailed for five years, eight months; Kevin Middleton, 35, of Bidder Drive, East Ardsley, jailed for six years, eight months; Lee Griffiths, 38, of Helston Road, Middleton, jailed for six years, eight months; Aaron Caley, 27, of Middleton Park Crescent, jailed for two years, three months; Martin Cowburn, 27, of Throstle Terrace, Middleton, jailed for two years, three months; Mathew Frearson, 32, of Broadland Way, Lofthouse, jailed for five years; Andrew Riddler, 41, of Skelldale Park, Ripon, jailed for two years, six months.