A “professional” county lines drug dealer has been jailed for more than four years for peddling heroin and crack cocaine in York.
Adam Reynard, 33, was running what police codenamed the ‘AJ Line’ which was set up to flood the city’s streets with Class A drugs, York Crown Court heard.
The prolific criminal, who has over 100 previous offences to his name, was finally caught up in the net cast by North Yorkshire Police who tracked Reynard during an investigation called Operation Sentry, set up to combat county lines drug supply.
Prosecutor Matthew Bean said that police began by arresting a known drug user in the city and seizing their mobile phone on which they found multiple “broadcast” messages advertising Class A drugs for sale.
These messages had been sent out from a county lines phone which had been used by Reynard, who had a managerial role in the drug network.
“Over the course of December and into 2025, there were a series of messages offering to supply both crack cocaine and heroin,” added Mr Bean.
“Call data established that 75 block messages were sent over the period of the indictment.”
He said that on some occasions, the broadcast messages had been sent out to nearly 200 people “at any one given time, although more usually they were going to 40 to 80 numbers”.
“There were days when multiple block messages were sent out by the ‘AJ Line,’” said Mr Bean.
“The evidence linked this defendant to the number.”
On March 15, Reynard was arrested on an unrelated matter and had his Nokia phone seized. Analysis of the handset and SIM card showed that he had been operating the new county line.
Reynard, from York but of no fixed address, was ultimately charged with two counts of offering to supply heroin and crack. He admitted the offences which occurred between November 2024 and March this year.
He appeared for sentence yesterday (20 May) when the prosecution outlined his shocking criminal record comprising 118 offences including car crime, violence and disorderly behaviour.
More pertinently, he had a previous conviction for possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
His most recent conviction was in August 2023 when he received a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence for burglary. He was released on prison licence partway through that sentence and was still on that licence when he embarked on the drug-supply racket.
Defence barrister Celine Kart said that Reynard, a drug addict, was a “middleman” and had an “operational function in a chain” but didn’t handle any of the drugs himself.
Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, told Reynard: “You have been dealt with before for supplying Class A and you have not learned your lesson.
“Class A drugs are the biggest source of crime in this area. People are getting mugged and being burgled for drugs and you are pushing it out by making your phone calls. You are a crucial part of that drug-dealing process.”
Mr Morris said that Reynard had a “pivotal” role in the county lines plot, adding: “You were bang at it in November up to March 2025.
“If you are managing a dealing line that is bashing out messages to that number of customers, you are well in it. This is professional drug dealing.”
Reynard was jailed for four years and three months but was told he would probably serve less than half that time behind bars due to new legislation caused by the overcrowded prison estate.