Drug lord serving 10 years is told to pay back £24,000
A drug lord businessman who had £230,000 worth of stolen cars and goods hidden away in a lock up has been ordered to pay back £24,000 of his ill-gotten gains.
Ross Richards, 41, of Heathlands, Stourbridge, who is serving a 10-year total sentence for conspiring to supply Class A drugs and possession of stolen goods, was discovered to be hiding the goods at a lock-up in Wharf Road, Stourbridge in April 2012. He also used the unit to cover up a sophisticated drugs racket.
Richards, who owns 29 properties, is worth £4 million.
He and his co-conspirators Stephen Hunt, of Edgehill Road, Eamon Henry, of Marston Road, Weoley Castle, and Laura Simmons, of Sir Hiltons Road, West Heath, were all found guilty of conspiring to supply cocaine in 2014 after a three-month trial, and Richards was also found guilty of the possession of stolen goods charge.
He did not attend the proceeds of crime hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court. The court heard that Richards claimed to police that he was asked to look after the stolen goods for people who were 'higher up the chain'.
After the stolen items of property were returned to their respective owners, it was agreed that the amount that Richards profited by was £24,331.
He was sentenced in January 2014 for his crimes, but proceeds of crime was delayed until the completion of a related trial.
On April 24, 2012, police attended the unit and discovered a large amount of stolen property.
There were vehicles, one of which had been stolen the day before. In total, the vehicles totalled £68,000 and altogether the goods that were discovered were worth in the region of £230,000.
He gave evidence at his trial in which he told of his extensive property portfolio and how he bought properties and rented them back to people.
He was known as 'The Money' to other members of the racket.
His defence at trial was that he was a successful businessman and he didn't need to involve himself in drug dealing, but he was still found guilty.
A financial investigator found that he had 29 properties but money is still owing on several of them.
Judge Michael Challinor said: "The defendant had the unit since April 2011 and it was used to store a quantity of stolen property.
"The defendant was aware that most, if not all of the property was stolen.
"His property business may have a tough-hearted business model, but it is legitimate.
"The amount he profited by has been agreed and I order confiscation of that sum. Given that he's worth around £4 million I don't think he should have a problem paying."
He was also sentenced to a further six months in prison.
