‘PURELY motivated by greed’ – a drug dealer and his accomplices have been jailed for more than 30 years combined after moving vast amounts of Class A drugs through Coventry and Warwickshire.
Daniel Wheeler, 38, of Nuneaton, who led a drugs line named after him, made more than £750,000 profit from his drug operation.
The Wheeler line involved the 38-year-old co-ordinating a network of drivers and runners to carry out drug deals on his behalf, as well as driving him around the country to do deals.
Selling cocaine between 0.5 grams and one ounce amounts, Wheeler and his underlings would keep people indebted to them by threatening anyone who couldn’t pay their debts.
Wheeler was joined in his operation by Coventry men David Ball, 39, of Fletchamstead Highway, Jason Wills, 40, of Burnaby Road, Liaquat Hussain, 48, of Middlemarch Road, and Anthony Hooper, 36, of Guilsborough Road, who each carried out a different role within the drugs line.
Ball was Wheeler’s driver and allowed him to use one of his bank accounts to launder his drug profits, while Wills and Hussain operated as street level dealers.
Hooper also allowed Wheeler to use his bank account to launder more than £100,000.
An investigation into the drugs line, involving Coventry Local Policing Area and West Midlands Police’s County Lines taskforce, established the gang had sold at least 10 kilograms of cocaine in 11 months.
In May 2023, Wheeler was arrested from a car in Coventry in possession of a phone linked to the drugs line, as well as money and a key to a nearby house in which police found a large amount of cocaine.
More cocaine and chemicals used for cutting the drugs were found at the addresses of the other suspects, as well as more phones and bank cards linked to the illicit accounts.
Wheeler, Ball, Wills and Hussain received jail sentences ranging from 12 years and eight months to four years and three months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Hooper was given a suspended sentence of 20 months for money laundering.
Det Cons David Cockbill from West Midlands Police’s County Lines Taskforce said: “Wheeler operated an incredibly busy and sophisticated cocaine line throughout Coventry and the surrounding area.
“He was purely motivated by greed, exploiting and threatening vulnerable people to further his drug business and avoid police detection.
“He showed no care for the misery his drugs inflicted on the community and was happy to threaten violence to keep people in line.
“The lengthy sentences reflect the amount of harm he and his associates caused.”
A West Midlands Police spokesperson added: “Our teams across the West Midlands work round the clock to identify, investigate and prosecute suspected County Lines drug dealers.
“These criminals exploit vulnerable people, including children and inflict misery on them and their families by introducing them to a life of crime.
“If you have suspicions a young person you know might be at risk of exploitation, let us know via 101.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/ynju7xfu for more information on County Lines drug dealing.
