by An EncroChat drug trafficker known as ‘Piggy Wilson’ enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle with jet skis, expensive watches and a Range Rover – all funded by his life of crime.
But Anthony Wilson has also been involved in the underworld with more than 35 years behind bars for drug offences. He is facing his longest sentence yet after using the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to trade wholesale quantities of heroin and crack cocaine deals with a family member.
A court heard this week that the 43-year-old, from Walkden in Salford, secretly used the handle ‘BushSky’ on EncroChat.
The messages revealed when the network was infiltrated by the French police in 2020 showed that Wilson – described by a judge as ‘top of the tree’ – was involved in ‘organising and directing the purchase and supply of 16kg of cocaine and 2kg of heroin, the court heard.
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Matthew Conway, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court, referred to a sample of his communications – including those exchanged with his cousin Daniel Shepherd, who went by the username ‘Vain Crane’. The 32-year-old, from Kirkdale, Liverpool, was locked up for 11-and-a-half years last month.
Wilson’s conversations were said to show he was involved in the drug trade ‘on a commercial scale’ with the expectation of substantial financial gain. The messages also revealed a county line ‘graft’ operation in the Bootle and Kirkdale areas known as ‘Piggy Wilson’, said to be named after the defendant, reports The Echo.
Merseyside Police raided Wilson’s home in Lentworth Drive, Walkden on August 26, 2021. During a search, officers seized £740 in cash from a downstairs study and more than £26,000 from inside a box on top of a wardrobe bedroom branded with the logo of the luxury label Valentino.
An encrypted Google phone with a Russian SIM card was also recovered from the same room. Wilson did not respond to detectives after being taken into custody at Copy Lane Police Station.
Wilson, originally from Walton Vale, Liverpool, has 14 previous convictions for 40 offenses dating back to 1996. These include 33 months for possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply in 2004 and a term of 10 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy. to commit an offense outside England and Wales in 2014.
Daniel Travers, who appeared for the prosecution this time, outlined how around 5kg of Class A drugs seized as part of a police operation in the organized crime group between May and July 2013, only ‘ picture’ of their entire activities. This amounted to 496g of cocaine, 1.5kg of crack and 1.8kg of heroin worth more than £250,000.
The former was said to be of ‘imported purity’, while 3kg of cutting agents found also indicated the outfit was also involved in ‘dumping’ its goods to increase profits.
Officers also found £4,000 in cash, a Breitling watch worth £3,000 and a Rolex worth £17,000 when a new one was bought.
He also had six mobile phones and a deposit receipt for a £55,000 static caravan parked in Heysham, where police found two share skis worth £10,000. Judge Andrew Hatton described him as a ‘top of the tree’ and said he used subordinates ‘to do the dirty work’.
Anthony Barraclough, defending, told the court during Wilson’s latest appearance on Wednesday his client had spent 23 months on license after being recalled to prison on the last sentence. He added: “What he claims is that he was a facilitator or broker and that he took the cream of the profit, which seems to be a common situation in these cases.
“He’s not an importer or a street dealer, he’s a middle man. It’s becoming sadly common that people are spending years of their lives getting involved, or in this case getting involved again. He’s not the chief executive. . He is, we say, the broker.”
Mr Barraclough also mentioned a recent incident behind bars when Wilson stopped another prisoner who was “high on spice” from attacking a guard. He said: “He is a model prisoner. He shows another side of this man’s character, who is a drug dealer – I don’t say dyed-in-the-wool, but he has committed some offences. But there is another side to him.
“Some judges say that everyone is sorry when they face sentence. My submission is that there is substantial and genuine remorse.”
Wilson admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool wearing a gray Under Armor zip-up top, he shook his head and said ‘joke that you know’ after being jailed for 14-and-a-half years.
Sentencing, Judge David Potter said: “The supply of Class A drugs at any level is always a serious crime, but the levels involved in this case are very serious. . Quite simply, drugs destroy the lives of users and they resort to significant amounts of crime to fund their own habits. It has a huge impact on families trying to support their own family members struggling with addiction.”
