Gang who flooded Aberdeen with drugs jailed for over 45 years following conviction

A notorious Birmingham drugs gang - led by city rapper Stardom, linked to the infamous Johnson Crew - has been sentenced to over 45 years in prison.

Rikardo Reid, known as Stardom, was the mastermind behind the 'Flash line', a drug supply chain dealing cocaine and heroin all the way to Aberdeen.

The 34-year-old Sutton Coldfield resident, once a promising footballer with more than 85,000 Instagram followers and a music studio in Dubai, was labelled a squandered talent at Birmingham Crown Court. On Wednesday, May 8, he received a sentence of 12 years and nine months.

His right-hand man, Joshua Nelson, 35, from Walsall, was given a 12-year and ten-month sentence, while Aberdeen-based distributor Ian Massie, 41, was handed an 11-year and six-month sentence. Mickel Gardner, 40, who allowed his Erdington address to be used as a safehouse and occasionally controlled the drug line, was jailed for five years.

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Drug courier Cree Dacres, 29, from Sutton Coldfield, was sentenced to three years and five months, and street dealer Himesh Suri, 28, of no fixed address, was given a nine-month sentence consecutive to a term of imprisonment he is currently serving.

The narcotics network operated from 2017 to 2022, and at one point in 2018, the gang swiftly switched to a new phone line after police temporarily thwarted their activities, reports Birmingham Live.

During sentencing today, Judge Andrew Smith KC remarked: "The supply of heroin and crack cocaine was highly organised, well-resourced and involved the crossing of the English and Scottish border. It was a highly resilient criminal agreement capable of coping with the demand and the efforts of police to disrupt and curtail criminal activities."

Reid, who has a history of drug-related offences, was previously identified as a member of Birmingham's GSA - Goon Squad Army/Get Some Ambition - considered a younger offshoot of the notorious Johnson Crew.

Regarding the Flash Line case, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of money laundering. His defence lawyer, Raymond Ali, highlighted that Reid had taken a course while in detention and had come to understand the broader harm caused by drugs.

Ali conveyed: "Now he is a family man. He is regretful of his actions and the impact it will have on his young family. He is a talented young man and he regrets his talent will be wasted or put on hold for a considerable time."

Nelson, who was also implicated in the 2021 Levana bar incident, was arrested much later than the other six men. He served as Reid's right-hand man in running the Flash Line but also operated a separate scheme supplying drugs by post to Aberdeen and surrounding towns.

Nelson pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, one charge of money laundering and a count of affray.

Tom Schofield, defending Nelson, stated that his client had shown remorse and 'exemplary conduct' while in custody at HMP Hewell, which he described as 'inhumane' and 'one of the worst prisons in the country for anybody on remand'.

Gardner pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. His defence lawyer, Graham Henson, said Gardner made the personal decision to 'walk away' from the drug gang in 2018 because he 'had enough' and 'wanted to turn his life around'.

After sentencing proceedings began last week, the barrister requested that his client's bail be extended over the weekend so he could spend time with his children, 'have a family meal and go to church on Sunday'.

Dacres was involved in nine courier trips between the Midlands and Scotland. She admitted to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of money laundering.

Her defence lawyer, Annabel Dale, stated that Dacres had a 'difficult childhood' which led her to live in shared housing where she 'fell into the company of others who were criminally sophisticated'.

The court heard from the barrister that Dacres, who had previously served a sentence for drug dealing, had managed to secure employment in the beauty industry. However, she was let go by her employers and fell into financial difficulty.

Ms Dale revealed that Dacres was working as a makeup artist in Selfridges when she was arrested for her involvement in the Flash line.

Massie denied his offences but was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one charge of money laundering following a trial. After dismissing his barrister, he stated he had 'nothing to say', but confirmed he had secured work in prison and had 'nearly' overcome his own drug addiction.

Suri pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of money laundering. His defence, Harinderpal Dhami, told the court that Suri had to 'fend for himself' as a young man after his mother passed away.

Dhami explained to the court that Suri got involved in drug dealing to pay off debts and confirmed that his long-term relationship with his girlfriend had now ended, after her parents said she had 'wasted' a large part of her life with him.