Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Nick Tyrrell

Encrochat's Goldgrape collected £1.4m in six months for other drug dealers

A drug dealer used the Encrochat handle ‘Goldgrape’ to collect £1.4m for other criminals.

Thomas Jefferson Hawkes was jailed on Tuesday, August 9, at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis.

The 30-year-old, of Valerian Road in Claughton, was also convicted of money laundering.

READ MORE: Vile carer caught stealing on CCTV after family became suspicious

That related to a six month period between January and June 2020 where it is believed he collected in excess of £1.4m in cash on behalf of other Encrochat handles. The court also heard he was responsible for collecting and distributing 14kg of cocaine and 75kg of cannabis. He worked with other criminals, two of whom have already been jailed.

George Marsh, 33 years, of Park Road North, Birkenhead who was sentenced in December to 16 years imprisonment. He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine at Liverpool Crown Court.

The other co-conspirator was Bradley Luxton, 34 years, from Upton who was also jailed for 16 years in August 2021 after pleading guilty to three counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and converting criminal property.

Hawkes, of Valerian Road in Claughton, was jailed for 11 and a half years. He was charged in December 2021 as part of Merseyside Police’s response to Operation Venetic - an international operation targeting criminals who used the mobile encrypted messaging platform Encrochat, in an attempt to evade detection.

Merseyside Police’s Detective Sergeant James Boardman said: “This a very good result as we disrupted a chain of supply of large quantities of drugs. I hope this sends a clear message to criminals that crime doesn’t pay – we’ll continue to be relentless in our pursuit of offenders.”

Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

READ NEXT:

Vile carer caught stealing on CCTV after family became suspicious

Dad 'felt sick' after seeing daughter, 4, hit by teens on electric bike

Ofgem warning as movement to not pay energy bills grows

M62 crash sees eight people rushed to hospital

Man arrested after shooting in pub car park

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.