A DUKINFIELD businessman has been jailed for six years after becoming involved in dealing kilograms of drugs.
Carl Jones won the Rising Star Award at the 2019 Pride of Tameside Business Awards as he was involved with a yoga studio and a gym while also investing in a café.
Three years later, though, the 33-year-old is behind bars after his illegal dealings were exposed by police.
Manchester Crown Court heard Jones turned to crime after becoming ‘panicked’ when the Covid-19 pandemic forced his businesses to close.
After all bar one of his businesses had not been registered long enough to qualify for a bounce back loan, he ‘couldn’t think of any other option’ but than agree to become involved in dealing.
He ended up being involved in dealing 19 kilos of ketamine and 10 kilos of cannabis.
Jones, of The Fairways, was identified as the man behind the EncroChat handle ‘Chief Commander’, which had been in contact with ‘at least’ 10 other users on the network.
Prosecutor Andy Scott said: “The EncroChat material revealed that the defendant was involved in discussions on a regular basis about the supply of substantial quantities of class B drugs.”
Oliver Cook, defending, said Jones was acting as a ‘broker’ between the criminals sourcing drugs and those eventually selling it on.
“He made the astonishingly out of character decision to engage in this offending,” Jones’ barrister said. “It was a foolish decision, a decision that he will pay for dearly.”
But sentencing him after he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class B drugs, the judge, Recorder Sarah Johnston told him he did it through, ‘greed.’
She said: “Mr Jones, you have ability, you have influence, you have skill, and you are thought of highly by many.
“I am told that the pandemic and related business losses caused you to fall into debt and the attempts you had made legitimately to cope with that financial pressure were not successful.
“But ultimately that you would sink into this world is really through greed, and nothing more.
“It goes without saying that the courts see on a daily basis the misery caused by the trade in illicit drugs.”