A man from North Yorkshire has been jailed after using an encrypted phone network to sell drugs and automatic weapons.
39-year-old Nathaniel Thomas Hollywood, of Dondeen Avenue in Thirsk, has been sentenced to 26 years and four months after trying to hide his illegal activities from police using an “EncroChat” device.
He pleaded guilty to six charges of conspiracy to supply class-A and class-B drugs after arranging the sale of cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis and ketamine.
He also pleaded guilty to breaching a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) and intentionally assisting or encouraging an offence contrary to section 44 of the serious crime act.
He was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on yesterday (Thursday 10 April).
Hollywood was released from prison in March 2020 after a sentencing of 11 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine.
He was released on license until 2024 and was subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) for a period of five years.
This was intended to prevent him from continuing to operate within an organised crime group and required him to only have one mobile phone and to declare this to the police.
Hollywood breached this order within weeks of his release from prison when he acquired an encrypted “EncroChat” phone.
Use of this encrypted phone network allowed users to hide their illegal activities from police.
This was until French law enforcement infiltrated the platform in 2020 and shared the content of criminal’s messages with the NCA and UK police forces.
Details of Hollywood’s activities on the encrypted phone network were shared with North Yorkshire Police and an investigation was launched by the force’s Organised Crime Unit.
The subsequent investigation found that Hollywood, using the handle ‘Tasteful Crow’, on the EncroChat system was attempting to broker the sale of multiple firearms to other criminal associates in April 2020.
The weapons he offered for sale included AK47 assault rifles and Skorpian and Uzi sub machine guns. These firearms are especially dangerous and lethal due to their automatic firing capability.
Messages obtained from Hollywood’s encrypted phone also showed that he conspired to supply large quantities of class-A and class-B drugs between March and June 2020, to North Yorkshire and beyond.
Evidence gathered by police shows numerous discussions about price, profits, funding and delivery as well as images of drugs within the chat.
Hollywood played a leading role in this enterprise and the messages revealed he had substantial links and influence over others in the supply chain.
Detective Constable Fiona Saunderson from North Yorkshire Police said: “Organised Crime remains one of our top priorities in North Yorkshire Police.
“This case shows how we are relentless in our pursuit of people who commit this type of crime.
“We will continue to seek and use serious crime prevention orders to safeguard our communities and reduce the risk posed with drug supply.”