Gangster rapper Stardom's 'Flash line' drugs crew jailed for over 45 years

A Birmingham drugs gang led by a notorious city rapper with links to the Johnson Crew has been jailed for more than 45 years. Rikardo Reid, aka Stardom, was the 'head' of the 'Flash line' supplying cocaine and heroin to Aberdeen in Scotland.

The 34-year-old from Sutton Coldfield was once a promising footballer, has more than 85,000 followers on Instagram and had set up a music studio in Dubai. But the father-of-three was described as a wasted talent at Birmingham Crown Court where today, Wednesday, May 8, he was sentenced to 12 years and nine months.

His 'second-in-command' Joshua Nelson, aged 35, from Walsall, was jailed for 12 years and ten months years while Aberdeen-based distributor Ian Massie, aged 41, was handed 11 years and six months. Recruit Mickel Gardner, aged 40, was jailed for five years having allowed his address in Erdington to be used as a safehouse while he also had occasional control of the drugs line itself.

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

The drug racket ran between 2017 and 2022. At one stage in 2018, the original Flash line number was swiftly replaced by a new number after the police managed to disrupt the operation.

Passing sentence today Judge Andrew Smith KC said: "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 has prior convictions for drug dealing. Previously it has been revealed he was a member of the Birmingham gang GSA - Goon Squad Army/Get Some Ambition - said to be a younger faction of the more infamous Johnson Crew.

In 2021 he was performing at the Levana bar in the Arcadian when rivals from Burger Bar Boys counterpart Armed Response recognised him, leading to a huge fight breaking out and the venue evacuating in panic. A year later Reid was one of six men sentenced for affray.

In relation to the Flash Line, he admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one charge of money laundering. Raymond Ali, defending, stated Reid had reflected on the wider damage caused by drugs after taking a course in custody.

He said: "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 was also involved in the 2021 Levana bar incident but was arrested at a much later stage than the other six men. He was the right-hand man to Reid in running the Flash Line but was also behind a separate operation supplying drugs by post to Aberdeen and nearby towns. Nelson admitted four counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, one charge of money laundering and a count of affray.

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

Gardner admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Graham Henson, mitigating for him, said he made his own decision to 'walk away' from the drugs gang in 2018 because he 'had enough' and 'wanted to turn his life around'.

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

Dacres had been involved in nine courier trips between the Midlands and Scotland. She pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of money laundering. Annabel Dale, defending, stated she had a 'difficult childhood' which led to her living in shared housing where she 'fell into the company of others who were criminally sophisticated'.

The barrister told the court Dacres had served a previous sentence for drug dealing but managed to obtain work in the beauty sector only to be let go by her employers and 'fall into financial difficulty'. Ms Dale said she was working as a makeup artist in Selfridges when she was arrested for her involvement in the Flash line.

Massie had 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. Having dismissed his barrister he stated he had 'nothing to say', but confirmed he had obtained work in prison and had 'nearly' overcome his own drug addiction.

Suri admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of money laundering. Harinderpal Dhami, defending, said he had to 'fend for himself' as a young man following the death of his mother.

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