Damning text messages have captured a drug gang boasting about importing £1million of cocaine and cannabis into the UK.
Lee Moore, 48, Charles Dodkins, 29, Daniel Snowdon, 42, and 31-year-old William Brown were also caught with a handgun, two self-loading semi-automatic guns, a replica gun and a silencer.
A court heard the gang operated the huge drugs empire, largely from Redcar, North Yorkshire, making enormous profit by sourcing huge quantities of drugs and flogging them.
But a police raid at Dodkins' home uncovered massive quantities of drugs, thousands of pounds in cash and the weapons.
Officers arrested Dodkins, Moore and Snowdon at the address in Redcar and, during subsequent investigation, the group messages were discovered.
Moore messaged Snowdon to ask him to supply him with a gun and body armour, Teesside Live reports. The messages by Moore complained of the difficulties he was having "getting firearms into the UK."
Brown texted the other men: "I'm waiting for my boy overseas. Its cost me £200K in sales already. Once this is over, I'm going back to Spain with my family. Redcar is full of daft wannabe weedballs."
Moore texted dad-to-two Dodkins: "You said you were returning this work, then nothing from you. Nothing but a 6K payment from you kid. I'd like to think you're not taking me for a c***."
Moore, Brown and Snowdon made plans to grow a 20kg crop of cannabis, on a 30 by 30 metre stretch of land, that they say would yield them "90-120k." The group chat referred to pistols as "scorpions" and shotguns as "gotties."
There was no evidence to show that the guns had been used.
The raid on August 9, 2021 at Dodkins' address found altogether;
- £12,300 of cocaine hidden in a cooker hood
- A Rolex watch worth £10,500
- £18,000 cash stuffed inside a zip-lock bag
- A notebook detailing £1 million of drug transactions with names and numbers, that had been carried out. This was stuffed in a bean bag.
- Sealed packets of cannabis
- A deactivated handgun, a replica handgun, 2 self-loading semi-automatic pistols with a silencer
- Live and blank ammunition that didn't match the firearms was found in a neighbour's garden
When Cleveland Police raided Moore's home, also in Redcar, they found £5,000 of cocaine. William Brown, of Crosshill, Glasgow, was the last in the gang to be traced - he was arrested in the summer of 2022.
Sitting at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Chris Smith jailed the gang for more than 60 years in total.
"Drugs lie at the heart of this serious offending. Each of you was, I am sure, attracted by the huge sums of money you could make at the cost of misery and fear to society," the judge said.
"Gun crime increasingly goes hand in hand with drug trafficking. You set about arming yourself with weapons.
"Dodkins - this was mainly your enterprise, you sourced the firearms. Moore, your DNA was found on the weapons. You, like Dodkins, supplied significant quantities of cocaine. You offered handguns and ammunition for sale.
"Snowdon - Mr Mullarkey urged me to conclude that you played a lesser role in this. But you were a trusted lieutenant to Moore and you supplied weaponry to Dodkins so he could enforce his market position.
"You, Brown, were not arrested until 2022, but your offending was the most serious. The police found messages showing further efforts to supply handguns and ammunition, after the others had been arrested."
Dodkins was jailed for 14-years-and-six-months after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis; conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear of violence; the possession of prohibited firearms; and the possession of criminal property.
Moore was handed 14-years-and-four-months for the cocaine conspiracy; the conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear of violence; the possession of prohibited firearms, and the possession of a bladed article.
Snowdon was jailed for 14-years. He pleaded guilty to the cocaine conspiracy; and was convicted after a trial of the conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear of violence.
Brown was handed a sentence of 21-years-and-four-months, for the cocaine and cannabis conspiracies; conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear of violence; in addition to the possession of prohibited firearms. He denied all of the charges, but was convicted after a trial.
Judge Smith said that he was "acutely aware that the sentences would take the men away from their children - for much of their childhood."
The four men will serve up to two-thirds of their sentences, before they are eligible for release on licence. The judge set a timetable for proceeds of crime hearings to take place.
Anthony Pettengell, prosecuting, had read the text message aloud in court.
He said Moore and Brown were the bosses who sourced the firearms, Dodkins was the main Redcar drugs supplier, and that Snowdon was the lowest in the gang's hierarchy.
Martin Sharpe, defending Dodkins, who has since moved from Redcar to Middlesbrough, Teesside, said that his client was only operating "at a level just above a street dealer."
Dodkins claimed that the weapons were only in his house for a matter of minutes, before it was raided, and that he kept them for his own protection.
Dodkins' partner listened from the public gallery, as Mr Sharpe said that Dodkins has two daughters and that he has spent the last 22-months away from his family in prison.
"He has gained a City and Guilds Level 1 in hairdressing whilst on remand, and he hopes to pursue that career in the future," Mr Sharpe added.
Lawyer Ian Mullarkey said Snowdon's own personal drug addiction had led to his involvement in the gang. Mr Mullarkey said Snowdon has faced a long wait to be sentenced, away from his children, after he was convicted by a jury in April last year.
Rod Hunt, representing Moore, said his client had only become involved in crime in his 40's.
"When he was arrested, he said, 'I think it saved my life.' How sad is that? When one looks through this miserable set of factors, there is one silver lining to these clouds."
The court heard references that testified that Moore is a "model prisoner" who has qualified as a Samaritan's listener, while on remand.
The court heard that Brown claimed he tried to show that he could access more drugs than he could, saying that his messages were "all lies and bravado" but he was convicted after trial. He has a young son, who lives with his partner in Scotland.
