A well-respected volunteer at a junior football club who was leading a double-life as a major drug dealer benefited from his criminal behaviour to the tune of more than half-a million pounds, a court has heard. Benjamin Simons and his brother Leon were caught with almost 1.8kg of high-purity cocaine as well as more than £53,000 in cash, weapons, quadbikes, a Jet Ski, and a box of designer watches when police disrupted their "Swansea Boys" drugs operation.
The siblings were each sent down for six years at Swansea Crown Court last July with a judge telling them they had been peddling misery through their activities and their motivation had been a simple one - "pure greed". Leon Simons' partner, Kelly McGuire, was handed a suspended prison sentence for allowing premises to be used for the supply of drugs and possession of criminal property, namely cash. The case returned to court following a investigation into their finances under Proceeds of Crime Act powers.
Craig Jones, prosecuting, told the court that Benjamin Simons had benefited from his criminal conduct to the tune of £541,167 while Leon Simons had benefited to the tune of £323,294. The court heard investigators had identified some £52,783 in available assets for Benjamin Simons and £17,750 for his sibling. The prosecutor said Leon Simons' partner McGuire was found to have benefited to the tune of £157,302 while some £17,750 in assets had been identified in her case. Judge Geraint Walters made confiscation orders in the available amounts.
The court has previously heard that in December 2023 police executed a search warrant at the home of Leon Simons and his partner Kelly Maguire in the Blaenymaes area of Swansea. Simons was not at the address when officers arrived but he returned to the property a short time later - as he approached he saw the police presence and was heard to shout something about "getting a blade" before making off. Simons was chased by officers and after a Taser was deployed he was detained.
A search of the couple's address uncovered £53,250 in cash as well as bags of cocaine ranging in purity from 81 per cent and 85 per cent. In total some 1,799g of coke was recovered - much of it from the kitchen - and a "conservative" estimate of the street value of the drug was £60,000. Officers also recovered weighing scales containing traces of white powder, a large machete-type knife, and a box containing what appeared to be Rolex designer watches. Police then executed a search warrant at Benjamin Simons' house in nearby Portmead where officers recovered a number of phones which contained messages relating to a drugs line known as the "Swansea Boys"
The court heard the investigation led officers to a unit at Aztec Business Park on Swansea West Business Park in Fforestfach which was controlled by the Simons siblings. In the unit police found a hydraulic press and metal plates for compressing blocks of cocaine, a Bruni 9mm blank-firing pistol, a second air weapon, a Jet Ski, and a number of quadbikes.
Benjamin Simons, aged 31, of Glenside Road, Blaenymaes, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession of criminal property, and 33-year-old Leon Simons, of Robin Road, Portmead, Swansea, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, namely cash. They were both sentenced to six years in prison.
Kelly Maguire, aged 32, and also of Robin Road, Portmead, pleaded guilty to allowing premises to be used for the supply of drugs and possession of criminal property. She was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to complete a rehabilitation course and a mental health treatment requirement.
None of the defendants had any previous convictions.
At the sentencing hearing Judge Geraint Walters said Class A drugs were a "scourge" in Swansea as they were in many towns and cities, and he said they brought misery to addicts and misery to communities where dealers operated. He said it was "remarkable" that three people with no previous convictions had committed such serious criminal offences, and he said it was clear the motivation had been that of "pure greed".
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