A CANNABIS dealer who grew thousands of pounds worth of cannabis in his rented home has been jailed for more than three years.
Adam Sellers, 38, converted three upstairs rooms in his home in Folly Lane, Warminster, over to cannabis production.
The Bradford-on-Avon man, whose sister Jasmine Orton was also briefly involved in his criminal activities, laundered the proceeds of his cannabis dealing through a crypto currency exchange.
Dried cannabis seized during the raid Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE
Prosecutor Puneet Grewall told Salisbury Crown Court that police raided Sellers’ home in Folly Lane in summer 2019.
Three bedrooms had been set up for the cultivation of cannabis. In total, there were 202 plants seized – 102 in the three bedrooms and a further 100 in an outbuilding. Dried cannabis was also found.
“It seems that Sellers had been looking after the property very well and the landlord didn’t check the upstairs,” Ms Grewall said. Checks with electricity board Eon showed power had been abstracted.
Analysis of phones seized pointed to the man dealing cannabis from November 2017 to May 2019. It was estimated by a police drugs expert that he could have made as much as £44,000 from sales, based on the number of messages found on the phones. The cannabis discovered by police was worth up to £34,000 or £17,500 if sold on the wholesale market.
There was evidence of cannabis being kept in another property in Trowbridge.
Cannabis in Folly Lane, Warminster Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE
Sellers, of Churches, Bradford-on-Avon, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis, production of a class B drug, abstracting electricity and money laundering. Orton, of Pera Road, Bath, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Neither had previous convictions.
Judge Andrew Barnett sentenced Sellars to three years and four months’ imprisonment. Orton received five months’ imprisonment suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
Police shared images of the seized cannabis in the wake of the raids. PC Sarah Greenman said: “We know the community is concerned about illegal drugs activity and anything we can do to take the products off our streets and protect vulnerable people has to be a good thing.
“Drug dealing is not a victimless crime - it is often linked to wider criminality, including anti-social behaviour and violence.”
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