A SOLIHULL drug lord and gun supplier has been jailed for 17 years following a long-running police investigation.
David Pedley, of Arden Vale Road, Solihull, and his accomplice Ezekial Osbourne were at the centre of the illegal supply network which saw them recruit others to carry out deals.
West Midlands Police say a covert operation by its organised crime unit followed Pedley to meetings with a number of the duo’s drug dealing recruits.
They were both later stopped by police and caught with cocaine.
More than £100,000 in cash was recovered during busts at several locations; while cocaine was also found at an address where 37-year-old Pedley frequently visited and used to store Class A substances, police say.
Osbourne, aged 39, was also caught supplying heroin to a female associate which was recovered after police searched her West Bromwich home.
Part of the network was dealer William Butler who was found trying to hide cocaine at his home in Chelmsley Wood when police made an unrelated arrest attempt in October 2016.
Both Pedley and Osbourne were found to be involved in a gun deal after armed police intercepted one of their associates in April this year.
Police say the associate had collected a .44 Smith and Wesson Russian calibre revolver from Edward Stewart in Northampton.
On his way back the associate was stopped in Yardley Wood and the weapon recovered.
Police discovered the sat nav set for an address connected to Pedley – while phone records showed Osbourne had organised the delivery.
Pedley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs between April and June 2016.
He was convicted of conspiracy to supply a firearm after trial and jailed for a total of 17 years at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (Monday, July 30).
Osbourne, of Edgware Road, Erdington, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supplying Class A drugs and was found guilty of the firearms offence.
He was sentenced to serve 10 years and three months imprisonment.
Stewart, 30, of Addison Road, Northampton, was jailed for six years for supplying a firearm while 39-year-old Butler, of Brays Road, Sheldon, was locked up for three years and four months for supplying cocaine.
Detective constable Chris Smith, from the organised crime unit, said: “This was a co-ordinated criminal network of which Pedley and Osbourne were at the forefront.
“We have already seen 10 others jailed for their involvement in this and hopefully these latest, lengthy sentences will serve as a warning that such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.
“We all know the pain that both drugs and guns can cause on our streets and there will be no let-up in our determination to combat this.”
