Owen Caris, a 24-year-old from Ryton, Gateshead, was caught with stacks of bling while claiming benefits. The feds swooped on him after his mum grassed up his phone number to the police. Turns out, Caris was running a county lines drug op, peddling coke and weed.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that over 22 weeks, 10,221 bulk messages were sent from his whip, advertising drugs to street users. The prosecutor, Kevin Wardlaw, reckoned the take could be as high as £131,228, though it might’ve been as low as £22,176 if it was all weed.
When they nailed him, Caris had a fake Rolex worth £1k, a 9-carat gold necklace and ring valued at up to £12k, and an iPhone worth £750. Wardlaw said, 'He was on benefits, so these buys were way above his means, all down to his criminal hustle.'
Caris pleaded guilty to being involved in the supply of cocaine and cannabis between March and August last year. He copped a 32-month stretch for it. His lawyer, Rachel Hedworth, mentioned he has autism and ADHD, and had a rough upbringing, including getting stabbed once.