Man who ran Stoke-on-Trent drug ring from prison jailed again
Ryan Mountford has been jailed for over six years
A man who ran a drug network in Stoke-on-Trent from his prison cell has been jailed for another six years and four months.
23-year-old Ryan Mountford, of no fixed address, admitted conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, as well as assaulting an emergency worker.
Police say Mountford ran the drugs operation from inside prison in 2021, using mobile phones to direct other members.
He gave instructions about preparing, weighing and selling crack cocaine and heroin in the Stoke-on-Trent area.
As part of a drugs investigation, officers raided a number of properties in Blurton in February 2022.
They found 12 wraps of heroin, crack cocaine, a safe with more than £10,000 in cash inside, and a list of people who were buying drugs.
Mountford was released from prison whilst this investigation was going on.
Officers later tracked him down in Cumbria and arrested him in connection.
While in police custody, he also spat at an officer.
Detective Sergeant Marc Proctor said “Mountford has been a blight on local communities and we have been working hard to put a stop to his offending.
“We want to reassure the local community that we are committed to actioning their concerns as robustly as possible and supporting those who are coerced into drug supply by organised crime groups like this one."