A man who used the EncroChat handle "Frosty Firm" to plot the supply of around half a million pounds of cocaine, heroin and cannabis has been jailed for nine years and nine months. Joshua Smith, 29, of Seafarers Drive in Woolton, was identified after being arrested at an Everton match, and police later seized Rolex watches, designer goods and more than £80,000 in cash from his home.
High-level criminal identified through EncroChat
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday that Smith had the handles of 54 other contacts stored in his Encro phone and had been in contact with 27 of these between March and June of 2020. By this stage, the 29-year-old was said to have "become trusted by other high level criminals", allowing him to discuss deals for up to 13kg of cocaine, 6kg of heroin and 24.5kg of cannabis.
Court documents, seen by the ECHO, detailed how Smith was identified as being the user of the Frosty Firm account after others stored his details under the names Josh, Josh S, Josh Smith and Smithy. The holder of the device was found to have been an Everton fan, with the defendant having been arrested during the Toffees' 5-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur in March 2022.
A picture sent by Smith to a contact revealed his PlayStation username to be Josh Smith 1878, the year the Blues were founded, and an account with which his address and date of birth had been linked. This image appeared to show him playing the video game FIFA 2020 as part of an online team branded "Corona CFC".
Drug supply 'spanned Merseyside'
Paul Becker, prosecuting, told the court: "The prosecution case is that Mr Smith played a leading role in the conspiracies, supplying significant quantities of cocaine, heroin and cannabis on a regular basis and sending and collecting large sums of cash derived from his criminal activity. He worked closely with several handles, namely Ripe Car, Reliable Castle and Gassy Zebra, to manage the distribution of large amounts of illicit drugs, sharing profits and making decisions with others regarding how best to sell the drugs and the prices to be charged."
"He approached drug dealing, the prosecution contend, like a commercial business. Mr Smith suggested that he had connections with others who arranged the importation of drugs into the UK. His standing within the hierarchy is demonstrated through his use of drivers, employing others, and access to vehicles with concealments."
"The drug supply operations were almost daily, spanning Merseyside. The defendant confirmed that he would also go hands on himself with all aspects of drug supply, including but not limited to directly supplying the commodity, collecting monies and paying debts owed."
"The defendant also had associations to individuals that appeared to be outside of the UK at the time of the capture and would be deemed to be directly involved in the importation of class A and B drugs into the UK. Whilst the defendant was not involved in importation, he demonstrated close links to the original source, with regular chats concerning his interest in cocaine outside of the UK."
111 items seized from drug dealer's home
Smith's activities led to Merseyside Police attending his home on February 24 this year, with officers seizing a total of 111 exhibits from the address. This included several phones, around £81,000 in cash from a cupboard in the hallway and a "large amount of designer items" worth more than £100,000, including Rolex watches, Christian Dior and Chanel clothing and Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana and Givenchy shoes.
Also recovered was 22.3g of cocaine at an 85 per cent purity, worth between £900 and £1,500, as well as up to £830 of MDMA, ketamine and 2CB. Messages found on an iPhone meanwhile showed Smith arranging for drugs to be dropped off at pubs and "tick lists" detailing sums owed to him by customers in his notes app, evidencing that he was "still at it, albeit on a smaller scale".
His criminal record shows a previous conviction for possession of criminal property in 2021, receiving a suspended prison sentence after reportedly being found with £5,000 in cash when stopped in a car the previous year.
Katy Appleton, defending, said on his behalf: "The defendant was 23 years old at the time his offending. I note, obviously, that there is a month of this year when he was offending. But these offences are now over six years of age."
"In his letter, he describes that he takes full responsibility for his actions, for which he is remorseful. He acknowledges the impact that his offending has had on his family and partner. He has, to his credit, spent his time in custody constructively. He has done numerous courses. He is a mentor. He is a high level trust prisoner."
Smith was also said to have "effectively had to be the man of the family since the age of 10" following his dad's death and helped to manage his mum's dry cleaning business. Ms Appleton added: "He is lightly convicted."
"I would submit that he has genuine remorse, given the contents of his letter. He does have a stable family life. He is still a young man and he does have prospects of work. He has done, I would respectfully submit, very well while he has been in custody on remand. He has never before served a custodial sentence."
'The profits you made came at a devastating cost'
Smith admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis resin, being concerned in the supply of MDMA and ketamine and possession of criminal property. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for nine years and nine months.
Sentencing, Recorder Sarah Holt said: "You must have been operating for some time to gain such contacts and be trusted by other high level criminals. You had ready access to large sums of cash, which you used to buy kilogram amounts of cocaine."
"You worked closely with the operatives of other handles, operating with them rather than for them. There is no evidence that you answered to any other handle. There is evidence of others working for you, driving for you, collecting or delivering drugs or money. You managed the distribution of large amounts of drugs."
"You had links with people outside of the United Kingdom who were involved in bringing drugs into the country. Although the capture period only covered a relatively short period, it demonstrated your almost daily involvement in discussing the buying and selling of those drugs. It is clear that you expected to make a substantial financial gain."
"It is clear that you were still involving yourself in the supply of class A and B drugs at the start of this year. There was a very large quantity of cash found, along with a number of high value items. The profits that you made and the luxuries that you purchased came at a devastating cost to others."
"Anyone involved in the supply of drugs participates in a destructive trade that inflicts untold misery. Communities suffer as a result of the devastating fallout of addiction. Your involvement did not just contribute to that misery, it perpetuated it."
"While you were young at the time you involved yourself in these conspiracies, it cannot be said that was isolated or occurred because of your immaturity. The evidence suggests that the opposite was true. You were very mature and had taken on great deal of responsibility for someone of that age. You continued to involve yourself in the supply of drugs in February of this year, aged 29."
"There is strong personal mitigation in this case. It is to your credit that you have taken full responsibility for these offences. I accept that the remorse you have expressed is genuine. It is clear that you have many good qualities. What is astonishing is that, with those qualities and your abilities, you decided to involve yourself in drug dealing in the first place. You have let an awful lot of people down."
'Treasure trove of evidence'
The National Crime Agency estimated that Smith was responsible for the supply of around £500,000 of drugs in total. Jon Hughes, one of the heads of the Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, which is run by the NCA and Merseyside Police, said following the hearing: "This investigation began with thousands of anonymised messages which officers painstakingly examined, identifying a commercial scale drugs enterprise being run by Josh Smith."
"When we arrested Smith at his home, we discovered a treasure trove of evidence. Officers spent hours recovering drugs, criminal cash, luxury clothes and accessories and a phone Smith had been using to conduct his criminal business. Smith had been happily supplying harmful, violence fuelling drugs while living a life of luxury from profits, but, thanks to Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, he's now behind bars."
