Organised crime group involved in conspiracy to launder money and possession of firearms jailed for 45 years

An organised crime group from Manchester has been jailed for a total of 45 years for conspiracy to launder money, supply drugs, and conspiracy to possess firearms, ammunition, and explosive devices.

The sentence was a result of extensive work by a convert team of officers, under Operation Brook, who had kept the group under close surveillance between October 2018 and July 2019.

Jonathan Walsh, the group’s ringleader – who was in a relationship with Jodie Bowie at the time of investigation – was first arrested in July 2019.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the organised crime group.

The court heard how Walsh operated the supply of drugs after which his associates were arrested and locked up.

The first strike was conducted by officers targeting suspected drugs and firearm transporter Joseph Grey in Manchester in January 2019.

He was found with carrying firearms with more than 100 rounds of ammunition and a homemade improvised grenade in his jacket pocket, which he had collected from an address in Merseyside before travelling back to Newton Heath.

Following his arrest, Grey’s house was searched and police found an encrypted phone, 9kg of cannabis in vacuum sealed bags with a street of £90,000, and 3.6kg of amphetamine which, if mixed further, would have had a street value of £100,000.

Kaylum Davies was later recruited by Walsh but was caught by police in March 2019 following a lengthy surveillance operation.

Davies was arrested after his car was pulled over by officers near Mansfield. In his car was small amount of cocaine, a knuckle duster and an encrypted phone.

A search of his home on Pirie Walk, Manchester found heroin, cannabis, a pistol and body armour.

The search was extended to Kaylum Davies’ sister, Chelsea Davies and her partner Noel Walsh – who is the brother of Jonathan Walsh the group’s ringleader. Officers found 14kg of amphetamine and an encrypted mobile phone.

Following the arrest of Kaylum and Chelsea Davies, the Bowie family were then enlisted to help transport the drugs and cash between Manchester and Mansfield.

On 4 July, police conducted a warrant at an address frequented by Walsh on Clough road, Failsworth which was the home of Geoffrey Keenen.

He fled the scene in a car and rammed into a police vehicle. In his car officers found 15kg of cannabis with a street value of £150,000. Keenan had fled on foot but was arrested when he returned home later in the day.

Jonathan Walsh was arrested within an hour after being picked up by his partner in crime, Jodie Bowie, when returning to their lavish home at Medlock Road, Woodhouse.

Found in the home was more than £10,000 in cash and designer clothing valued at more than £94,000. Walsh had not declared earnings since before 2013 and Jodie earned less than £20,000 per year.

A second search was conducted on the Clough Road property days later. Police discovered a double plug socket wall safe with 50 foil wraps of heroin, 33 foil wraps containing cocaine, and one bag of heroin and one of cocaine inside.

Kaylum Davies’ fingerprints were found on the foil wraps.

In a co-ordinated strike day on 16 October 2019, the home of Anthony Jones – another associate of Jonathan Walsh – and the homes of Jodie Bowie, Lee Bowie, Kaylum Davies were all searched and all four were arrested for their part in the criminal group. Chelsea Davies & Noel Walsh were also arrested the same day at Cattlin Way, Oldham.

Those jailed as part of Operation Brooks are as follows:

• Jonathan Walsh, (34), of Warwick Road, Failsworth, plead guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs and money laundering and was later found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm, conspiracy to possess ammunition, and conspiracy to possess an explosive device after trial at Manchester Crown Court in September 2021. He was sentenced to 15 years behind bars
• Anthony Jones, (40) of Parkview Road, Liverpool, was found guilty after a trial at Manchester Crown Court in June 2021 of conspiracy to possess ammunition and conspiracy to possess an explosive device and sentenced to 15 years
• Joseph Grey, (57), of Hopgarth Walk, Manchester, pleaded guilty to firearm offences and he later pleaded guilty to drugs and money laundering and was sentenced to 8.5 years at Manchester Crown Court in September 2021
• Kaylum Davies, (24) of Pirie Walk, Newton Heath, and Manchester pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Supply Class A Heroin and conspiracy to supply class B drugs (amphetamine and cannabis) for which he received a three year sentence
• Noel Walsh, (38), Cattlin Way, Oldham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B and money laundering. He was sentenced to three years
• Geoffrey Keenan, (54), of Clough Road, Failsworth, Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B and possession with intent supply cocaine and heroin was sentenced to four years and four months.

The following sentences were also handed out for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and money laundering:

• Jodie Bowie (32), Medlock Road, Failsworth, received 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years
• David Bowie (52), Warwick Road, Failsworth, received 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months
• Janice Bowie (53), Warwick Road, Failsworth, received 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months
• Chelsea Davies (28), Cattlin Way, Oldham, received 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years
• Lee Bowie (35), Falside Walk, Newton Heath, is due to be sentenced at a later date

Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Norman, of GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: “This was a lengthy and intricate operation dedicated to dismantling this criminal group.”