County lines dealer jailed for four years

A 29-year-old man has been jailed for four years after admitting being part of a county lines gang supplying and distributing class A drugs in Loughborough.

Louis Howard, of no fixed address, not only sold the drugs but was involved in the cutting, weighing and bagging of cocaine and heroin for others to sell on, as well as collecting the profit.

On one occasion in February this year he handed over around £850 in cash to one of the men running the line – money made in less than 24 hours of selling drugs in the area.

When arrested in April this year he also had more than £650 in cash which he admitted was from the sale of drugs.

Howard was identified as being involved during months of gathering information and evidence on those selling and distributing cocaine and heroin – known as Operation Lionheart.

At a house in Rowanberry Avenue in January and February this year, he was seen on three occasions assisting in the weighing, cutting and bagging of drugs worth thousands of pounds.

On one of these occasion he also sold heroin to a plain clothes officer and was seen to be in possession of more wraps.

He was charged with a total of eight offences, which he admitted and was sentenced for, at Leicester Crown Court, on Friday (6 September).

The defendant was sentenced to four years in prison for four counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, one count of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, one count of supplying class A drugs and two counts of possession of criminal property.