Jamie Cassidy, 46, was ‘drawn in’ to crime after his promising football career ended shortly
A former football prodigy who once played alongside stars Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen has been jailed for participating in a multimillion-pound drugs conspiracy.
Jamie Cassidy, now 46, helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup against West Ham in 1996, facing Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard on the pitch.
Manchester Crown Court was told he was a footballer of ‘exceptional talent and promise’ before turning to crime.
Paul Greeney KC, defending, added: ‘He was signed by Liverpool Football Club at the age of nine and, subsequently, along with Jamie Carragher, was rewarded with one of only 16 places at the FA’s Centre of Excellence.
‘At 15, he was leading scorer for England’s under-16s team.
‘The following season he was top scorer in the under-16s England team, with six goals, including three in the European Championships.’
But the midfielder suffered injuries early in his career, wrecking his chances to go forward, and was later ‘drawn in’ to the business by his older brother.
Jonathan Cassidy, 50, likened himself to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, or El Chapo, one of the world’s most infamous traffickers.
Manchester Crown Court heard he played a leading role in the international drugs plot, along with a third man, money launderer Nasar Ahmed, 51.
The trio dealt 356kg of cocaine, worth around £26 million, with £10 million in cash changing hands in the space of three months.
The cargo imported from Holland supplied the north-west England, Birmingham and Leeds.
The three had been held in custody since 2020, law enforcement agencies busted their encrypted phone system called EncroChat and they were arrested.
The court heard Jamie Cassidy had an ‘operational/managerial role’, and although he had no part in the importation of drugs he did act on the direction of those above him to make sure drugs were distributed to dealers.
Meanwhile, Ahmed was the facilitator transferring sums of money to buy and sell drugs.
The older Cassidy played a leading role in importing the drugs using the network he had built in property development.
All three were jailed at Manchester Crown Court for involvement in the operation.
Jonathan Cassidy and Ahmed had admitted at an earlier hearing importation of drugs in April and March 2020.
The two, along with Jamie Cassidy, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Judge Nicholas Dean, Recorder of Manchester, jailed Jamie Cassidy, serving at HMP Liverpool, for 13 years and three months.
Jonathan Cassidy and Ahmed, Category A prisoners at HMP Manchester, both received 21 years and nine months in jail.
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