Man loses £73,000 of his ill-gotten gains after importing cannabis from the USA

A man who organised the importation of cannabis from the United States of America has been ordered to forfeit more than £73,000 of his ill-gotten gains.

Raymond Holding, of Parklands View in Little Sutton, was at the head of the operation and in charge of sourcing and importing large quantities of cannabis from California.

The 42-year-old recruited members of his family and several vulnerable people in Ellesmere Port as the recipients for the large number of cannabis orders placed with his supplier in America.

The class B drug was then sold to users in Ellesmere Port.

In February 2018 two packages containing cannabis destined for Holding were intercepted by the UK Border Agency.

He was jailed for three years and three months at Chester Crown Court on 18 October 2020 after admitting to conspiracy to supply cannabis, money laundering and conspiracy to import cannabis.

The investigation discovered Holding was running a lucrative business that lead to him leading a lavish lifestyle. 

It enabled him to purchase high value watches, including four Rolex watches with a total value of around £28,000 and a Patek Phillippe watch worth approximately £25,000. Officers also seized £10,000 in cash from his address.

Following his sentencing a timetable was set under the Proceeds of Crime Act and an investigation began into Holding’s financial affairs to identify how much he gained from his criminal conduct.

On 15 September 2021 the case was called back to Chester Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing.

Holding was found to have gained a total of £207,607 from his crimes.

The judge ordered him to pay a confiscation order of £73,090 which is the estimated value of high value watches seized from Holding at the time of his arrest.

Detective Sergeant Graeme Carvell, from Ellesmere Port Local Policing Unit, said: “Holding was running a sophisticated criminal enterprise purely to make money.

“He used vulnerable people, and members of his own family, to facilitate his criminality but he was the one who was benefiting from the profits the most.

“The high value watches profited from his enterprise will now be sent to auction and the money will rightly be spent on improving our local communities.

“His remaining unpaid benefit figure will be paid from any future assets that are seized from him.”

Four other members of the organised crime group were sentenced in October 2020, November 2020 and September 2021 at Chester Crown Court.

Please see a photograph of one of the high value watches - £25,000 Patek Phillippe Holding took on his phone. 

Lloyd Spencer, aged 38 of Hawkeshead Road in Manchester pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin and cannabis and was sentenced to 50 months.

Zoe Beattie, aged 30, of Parklands View in Great Sutton pleaded guilty to money laundering and received a 10 month sentence suspended for 18 months.

Christy Foster, aged 23, of Grappenhall Road, Great Sutton pleaded to importation of cannabis and received a 14 month sentence suspended for two years.

Martin Ellis, aged 58, of Marlborough Road in Ellesmere Port pleaded to money laundering, importation of cannabis, conspiracy to supply cannabis and received a 16 month sentence suspended for two years.

Kevin Smith, aged 46, of Tarvin Close in Ellesmere Port pleaded to money laundering and importation of cannabis and received a 18 month sentence suspended for two years.

Billy Dodd, aged 24, of Grappenhal Road in Great Sutton pleaded to conspiracy to supply cannabis, money laundering and pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. He received a 14 month sentence suspended for two years.

Pictured - One of the high value watches, a £25,000 Patek Phillippe, which Raymond Holding took on his phone.