Essex drug-dealing gang jailed for 27 years
Six people are starting sentences after supplying cocaine in South Essex
An organised crime group who admitted conspiring to supply cocaine across south Essex has been dismantled and six people jailed for a total of 27 years.
Officers investigating a drug dealing group who worked together to supply cocaine in the south of Essex arrested six people as part of an intelligence-led operation last year.
Officers dedicated to tackling drugs conducted simultaneous dawn raids at locations in Canvey Island and Billericay on 8 February 2022 to tackle the organised crime group’s activities that operated between 2017 and February 2022.
At just one address, cash concealed in plastic boxes were found hidden in concrete that, when smashed open, revealed almost £19,000 and in total, over £82,000 cash was seized that day.
One of the group, Jimmy Heary, 59, was arrested at a business address in Furtherwick Road, Canvey Island where officers found £3,685 cash and seized three mobile phones. When they searched his car, a bag containing 63 wraps of cocaine was found.
Meanwhile, at his home address in Oak Road, Crays Hill, officers found a large amount of designer counterfeit fashion items when they entered the property.
Sheralee Heary, 52, was home in Oak Road when officers searched the address where they found drug paraphernalia including packaging that matched the drug wraps found at the Canvey Island address.
Officers also found £7,000 cash and more mobile phones.
Other arrests made that morning included Jade Sandell, Nicholas Axford and Jasmine Burrows.
The lengthy investigation found messages on various phones linking the members of the group, showing that Connal Regan, 28, formerly of Canvey Island was the kingpin in the operation. He was postal requisitioned in March 2022 for the same offences.
All six pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and were sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday 10 August.
Connal Regan received the biggest sentence of 8-and-a-half year’s total jail term after he admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Jimmy Heary was imprisoned for four years and six months for conspiring to supply cocaine while Sheralee Heary was jailed for a total of five years for conspiring to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Nicholas Axford, 36, of St Johns Crescent, Canvey Island was imprisoned for a total of six years for conspiring to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Jasmine Burrows, 29, was sentenced to two years and eight months for conspiring to supply cocaine.
Jade Sandell, 33, of Haarlem Road, Canvey Island was sentenced to four months jail for money laundering.
Falcon team's Sergeant, Victoria Jarvis, said: “Organised crime groups have no place in Essex and we’re determined to root them out, one by one.
“We will always target those whose criminal actions have a detrimental effect on our community and we will continue to carry out this type of proactive work to reduce drug driven violence and anti-social behaviour caused by organised crime groups.
“Their activities cause misery for many families when they prey on the weak and most vulnerable in our society.
“Today our efforts to disrupt and dismantle this crime group have seen a total of 27 jail years handed out, showing that the jury, made up of ordinary people, just like our communities, won’t stand for their drug dealing either.
“The court has given out sentences that will keep these people off our streets, supporting our efforts to tackle drug dealing.”