Three North East men sentenced for total of 48 years for firearms and class A drugs conspiracy

Three men have been sentenced for their parts in a firearms and class A drugs conspiracy.

Nico Easton, of Thornaby, 31, Mark McKeswick, of Hexham, 49, and 42-year-old Robert English, of Newcastle, were sentenced to a total of nearly 48 years when they appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday (12 November).

In 2020 the men came to the attention of the National Crime Agency (NCA) when an operation targeting encrypted mobile phones was launched, leading to the identification of many handsets in use around the country.

The NCA was able to access the messages sent on these devices, many of which related to serious criminal activity.

The usernames associated with some of these devices were eventually tracked down to individuals; and Easton, McKeswick and English were identified as being involved in class A drugs distribution within Cleveland.

Easton, from Cleveland, and McKeswick and English, both from the Northumbria Police force area, were involved in the supply of drugs from April to June 2020.

In May 2020, the men also arranged the purchase and delivery of a firearm, photos of which were sent between the three parties.

English and McKeswick were arrested and charged in June 2022 and Easton was charged in July 2022.

A trial in September 2024 led to the conviction of Easton, McKeswick and English who were all found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to acquire a firearm without a certificate.

English was also found guilty of possession of criminal property (cash), and McKeswick was additionally found guilty of possession of criminal property, being concerned in the production of class A drugs (heroin), possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs (heroin and amphetamine).

Cleveland Police Detective Chief Inspector Jon Tapper said: “I hope that today’s sentences send a stark message to those who intend on bringing drugs into Cleveland, and those who think it’s acceptable to possess firearms.

“Cleveland Police is committed to tackling serious and organised crime, and those involved can expect to be put before the courts and dealt with robustly.

“This has been a long-running investigation which has been challenging and I’d like to thank the partner agencies and all the staff involved in this investigation and the subsequent prosecution.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners in the National Crime Agency to deal with these offenders.”

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