Latest news with #MichaelBoateng
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over ‘significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul
Cops found 19.7kg of the Class A drug at his family home LOCKED UP Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over 'significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul A FORMER football star who was caught with millions of pounds worth of crystal meth has been jailed for 14 years. Michael Boateng, who began his youth career at Crystal Palace, was arrested on Valentine's Day last year after police found 19.7kg of the Class A drug in a sports bag at a flat he shared with his girlfriend and infant son. 5 Michael Boateng has been jailed for 14 years for his 'significant role' in a multi-million pound crystal meth operation Credit: PA 5 Close to 20kg of the Class A substance were found in a bag at a flat he was living in with his girlfriend and two-month-old son last February Credit: PA 5 Boateng admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September Credit: Alamy A court ruled he played a "significant role" in an organised crime group as the former footballer was sent down for more than a decade. The 34-year-old - who had become a successful personal trainer after his playing career, with clients including England star Jadon Sancho - admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September. Boateng, donning a blue prison t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, sat motionless as the judge read out his sentence. His girlfriend - who is the mum to the pair's now 18-month-old son - shook her head in disbelief as the sentence was confirmed. Croydon Crown Court head on June 20 how Boateng had been "doing well" while working as a personal trainer between 2018 and 2023. However, he was issued with an Osman Warning from the Metropolitan Police in 2022 - a warning which indicates an immediate threat to one's life. Representing the defence, Paul Crampin told the court how Boateng was informed of a "credible threat against his life". This then caused his partner at the time to "essential refuse him access to their family". After "cutting him off completely from his son", Boateng suffered from a period of stress and depression, Crampin said. He added that this led to drug use, including Class A substances, with Crampin saying he was then "involved in the small scale supply of drugs to essentially people he knew". Ex-Premier League star Ronnie Stam jailed for seven years in multi-million pound drug-smuggling probe This was done to "fund his own Class A drug habit", the defence said. Boateng was stopped by police officers in Bromley, south London, in September 2023 after acting suspiciously. He then ran from the cops down a dead-end road before a dog unit found a snap bag - which had been thrown over a garden wall - containing 19 wraps of cocaine. John Carmichael, prosecuting, told the court how a search of Boateng's flat in Croydon found 14 additional wraps of cocaine, 32 tablets of MDMA and one block of 22 grams of MDMA. The overall street value of the cocaine and MDMA stood at between £3,000 and £4,180, the court heard. Cops also found 26 bags of ketamine, with a street value of £260 to £520 and £1,570 in cash. Boateng said nothing at interview and later pleaded guilty to intent to supply cocaine and MDMA and possession of ketamine. He was granted bail on the condition he abided by a curfew and reported regularly to a police station. However, his story took a further turn after police raided the former football star's new address in Croydon - where he was living with his girlfriend and their two-month-old son - on Valentine's Day last year. A Slazenger sports bag with 19.7kg of crystal meth was found in the hallway of the property. CCTV footage also showed Boateng arriving seven days earlier, dumping the bag in the same position it was found in, after being handed the bag outside the home. The court heard that while the crystal meth had a wholesale value of between £200,000 to £400,000, its street value could range from anywhere between £1,182,000 and £2,364,000. Mr Carmichael said: "He is clearly trusted within an organisation, holding onto a significant amount of drugs." While the defence did not dispute the weight of the drugs the former footballer possessed, they argued it could not be ruled out that Boateng was not a victim of "coercion or intimidation" from organised criminals when holding onto the drugs. However, Judge Daniel Flahive told the court it was clear Boateng played a "significant role" within an organised crime group, saying this position was "not a matter of negotiation". He added: "He had some awareness and understanding of the operation. This does put him squarely in the significant book. "At the moment I can't see how this falls into a lesser role." 'YOU WERE PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE DRUG DEALING ENTERPRISE' In his closing statement, Judge Flahive said: "You were playing a significant role in the drug dealing enterprise. Your role was not minimal. "The amount of drugs we are talking about, just shy of 20kg, the value at street level, we are talking potentially millions of pounds. "The reason for the 14 years will be to reflect the sheer quantity of drugs you were looking after in the period of time and reminding myself this was an offence that was committed while on bail for the earlier case. "When you are released you will be subject to licence, the licence will have conditions attached to it. You can go down now." Right back Boateng was a youth player at Crystal Palace between 2005 and 2007 before he eventually made his senior debut for Tonbridge Angels while on loan from Bristol Rovers in 2011. The star then had stints at Sutton United, Bromley, Newport County and Whitehawk before he was dismissed from the latter after being charged following a match-fixing probe in December 2013. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in June 2014 and the following January got a lifetime ban from football. He was then jailed again in June 2015 for drug dealing. Boateng had appeared as a co-host on the podcast series "Banged Up" which explored life inside Britain's prison system. He had spoken candidly about his wish not to reoffend and stay out of trouble. 5 Boateng played a 'significant role' in an organised crime group, the court heard
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over ‘significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul
Cops found 19.7kg of the Class A drug at his family home LOCKED UP Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over 'significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER football star who was caught with millions of pounds worth of crystal meth has been jailed for 14 years. Michael Boateng, who began his youth career at Crystal Palace, was arrested on Valentine's Day last year after police found 19.7kg of the Class A drug in a sports bag at a flat he shared with his girlfriend and infant son. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Michael Boateng has been jailed for 14 years for his 'significant role' in a multi-million pound crystal meth operation Credit: PA 5 Close to 20kg of the Class A substance were found in a bag at a flat he was living in with his girlfriend and two-month-old son last February Credit: PA 5 Boateng admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September Credit: Alamy A court ruled he played a "significant role" in an organised crime group as the former footballer was sent down for more than a decade. The 34-year-old - who had become a successful personal trainer after his playing career, with clients including England star Jadon Sancho - admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September. Boateng, donning a blue prison t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, sat motionless as the judge read out his sentence. His girlfriend - who is the mum to the pair's now 18-month-old son - shook her head in disbelief as the sentence was confirmed. Croydon Crown Court head on June 20 how Boateng had been "doing well" while working as a personal trainer between 2018 and 2023. However, he was issued with an Osman Warning from the Metropolitan Police in 2022 - a warning which indicates an immediate threat to one's life. Representing the defence, Paul Crampin told the court how Boateng was informed of a "credible threat against his life". This then caused his partner at the time to "essential refuse him access to their family". After "cutting him off completely from his son", Boateng suffered from a period of stress and depression, Crampin said. He added that this led to drug use, including Class A substances, with Crampin saying he was then "involved in the small scale supply of drugs to essentially people he knew". Ex-Premier League star Ronnie Stam jailed for seven years in multi-million pound drug-smuggling probe This was done to "fund his own Class A drug habit", the defence said. Boateng was stopped by police officers in Bromley, south London, in September 2023 after acting suspiciously. He then ran from the cops down a dead-end road before a dog unit found a snap bag - which had been thrown over a garden wall - containing 19 wraps of cocaine. John Carmichael, prosecuting, told the court how a search of Boateng's flat in Croydon found 14 additional wraps of cocaine, 32 tablets of MDMA and one block of 22 grams of MDMA. The overall street value of the cocaine and MDMA stood at between £3,000 and £4,180, the court heard. Cops also found 26 bags of ketamine, with a street value of £260 to £520 and £1,570 in cash. Boateng said nothing at interview and later pleaded guilty to intent to supply cocaine and MDMA and possession of ketamine. He was granted bail on the condition he abided by a curfew and reported regularly to a police station. However, his story took a further turn after police raided the former football star's new address in Croydon - where he was living with his girlfriend and their two-month-old son - on Valentine's Day last year. A Slazenger sports bag with 19.7kg of crystal meth was found in the hallway of the property. CCTV footage also showed Boateng arriving seven days earlier, dumping the bag in the same position it was found in, after being handed the bag outside the home. The court heard that while the crystal meth had a wholesale value of between £200,000 to £400,000, its street value could range from anywhere between £1,182,000 and £2,364,000. Mr Carmichael said: "He is clearly trusted within an organisation, holding onto a significant amount of drugs." While the defence did not dispute the weight of the drugs the former footballer possessed, they argued it could not be ruled out that Boateng was not a victim of "coercion or intimidation" from organised criminals when holding onto the drugs. However, Judge Daniel Flahive told the court it was clear Boateng played a "significant role" within an organised crime group, saying this position was "not a matter of negotiation". He added: "He had some awareness and understanding of the operation. This does put him squarely in the significant book. "At the moment I can't see how this falls into a lesser role." 'YOU WERE PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE DRUG DEALING ENTERPRISE' In his closing statement, Judge Flahive said: "You were playing a significant role in the drug dealing enterprise. Your role was not minimal. "The amount of drugs we are talking about, just shy of 20kg, the value at street level, we are talking potentially millions of pounds. "The reason for the 14 years will be to reflect the sheer quantity of drugs you were looking after in the period of time and reminding myself this was an offence that was committed while on bail for the earlier case. "When you are released you will be subject to licence, the licence will have conditions attached to it. You can go down now." Right back Boateng was a youth player at Crystal Palace between 2005 and 2007 before he eventually made his senior debut for Tonbridge Angels while on loan from Bristol Rovers in 2011. The star then had stints at Sutton United, Bromley, Newport County and Whitehawk before he was dismissed from the latter after being charged following a match-fixing probe in December 2013. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in June 2014 and the following January got a lifetime ban from football. He was then jailed again in June 2015 for drug dealing. Boateng had appeared as a co-host on the podcast series "Banged Up" which explored life inside Britain's prison system. He had spoken candidly about his wish not to reoffend and stay out of trouble. 5 Boateng played a 'significant role' in an organised crime group, the court heard
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-Crystal Palace defender and podcast host who trained English footballer star is jailed for 14 years for record £2.36million crystal meth haul
An ex-Crystal Palace defender who played a 'significant role' in an organised crime group has been jailed for 14 years after being caught with £2.36million worth of crystal meth. Michael Boateng was arrested on Valentine's Day last year after police found 19.7kg of the Class A drug in a Slazenger sports bag at the Croydon flat he shared with his girlfriend and then two-month-old son. The discovery is thought to be one of the biggest ever Crystal Meth busts on UK soil. The 34-year-old, who the court heard had been a successful personal trainer with clients including England football star Jadon Sancho, had admitted intent to supply Crystal Meth, Cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September. Boateng, wearing a blue prison 'Mental Health Ambassador' t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, sat motionless as the judge read out his sentence. His girlfriend and the mother to his now 18-month old son, shook her head in disbelief as the sentence was read out. Croydon Crown Court heard on June 20 how Peckham-born Boateng had been 'doing well' while working as a personal trainer and in close protection between 2018 and 2023. But in 2022, the Metropolitan Police made Boateng aware of an immediate threat to his life, known as an Osman Warning. Paul Crampin, for the defence, told the court: 'He was told there was a credible threat against his life. 'As a result of that, his partner at the time essentially refused him access to their family. 'They cut him off completely from his son. It caused Mr Boateng to experience a period of stress and depression. 'One of the consequences of that was that he became involved in drug use. 'He started using Class A drugs... he was then involved in the small scale supply of drugs to essentially people he knew... at that stage it was to fund his own Class A drug habit.' In September 2023, Boateng was stopped by police officers in the Bromley-area of South London after acting suspiciously. He ran from officers into Cromford Close before a dog unit found a snap bag with 19 wraps of cocaine which had been discarded over a garden wall. When he was arrested he had two iPhones on him and £102 in cash. John Carmichael, prosecuting, told the court how a search of Boateng's flat in Croydon found 14 additional wraps of cocaine, 32 tablets of MDMA and one block of 22 grams of MDMA. The overall street value of the cocaine and MDMA stood at between £3,000 and £4,180, the court heard. Cops also found 26 bags of Ketamine, with a street value of £260 to £520 and £1,570 in cash. Boateng said nothing at interview and later pleaded guilty to intent to supply cocaine and MDMA and possession of ketamine. He was granted bail on the condition he abided by a curfew and reported regularly to a police station. But on February 14, 2024, police raided Boateng's new address, also in Croydon, where he lived with his new girlfriend and the couple's then two-month-old son, who had been born on Christmas Day 2023. A Slazenger sports bag with 19.7kg of crystal meth was found in the hallway of the property. CCTV showed Boateng arriving seven days earlier and dumping the bag down in the same position after being handed it outside the property. The court heard the crystal meth had a wholesale value of £200,000 to £400,000 but a street value of between £1,182,000 and £2,364,000. 'He is clearly trusted within an organisation, holding onto a significant amount of drugs', Mr Carmichael said. But Mr Crampin said that while there was no dispute over the weight of the drugs Boateng possessed, it could not be ruled out that Boateng was not a victim of 'coercion or intimidation' from organised criminals when holding onto the drugs. Judge Daniel Flahive told the court it was clear Boateng played a 'significant role' within an organised crime group and his standing in the drug trafficking network was 'not a matter of negotiation'. He added: 'He had some awareness and understanding of the operation. This does put him squarely in the significant book. 'At the moment I can't see how this falls into a lesser role.' In his closing statement, Judge Flahive said: 'You were playing a significant role in the drug dealing enterprise. Your role was not minimal. 'The amount of drugs we are talking about, just shy of 20kg, the value at street level, we are talking potentially millions of pounds. 'The reason for the 14 years will be to reflect the sheer quantity of drugs you were looking after in the period of time and reminding myself this was an offence that was committed while on bail for the earlier case. 'When you are released you will be subject to licence, the licence will have conditions attached to it. You can go down now.' Right back Boateng was on the books at Crystal Palace as a teenager between 2005 and 2007 when they were competing in the Championship. The defender went on to play for Bristol Rovers before having spells at Bromley, Sutton United, Newport County and non-league Whitehawk. In December 2013, he was sacked by Whitehawk after being charged following a match-fixing probe. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in June 2014 and the following January got a lifetime ban from football. He was jailed again in June 2015 for drug dealing. Boateng had appeared as a co-host on the podcast series 'Banged Up' which explored life inside Britain's prison system.
