NOTORIOUS drug dealer Dean Goble is behind bars and now faces having money and property seized - unless he can prove they were not funded by his illegal business.
The 32-year-old, of Melmore Gardens, pleaded guilty to a charge of being concerned to the supply of cocaine between November 2005 and February 3 last year and was sentenced to four and a half years in jail.
Police had monitored Goble's home for nearly six months before busting his 'professional' operation.
Goble's assistants, Michael Corbett, 33, of Querns Road, Cirencester, and Laura Gardner, 23, of Masefield Road, Cirencester, also admitted being concerned in cocaine supply between the same dates.
Taxi-driver Anthony David, 41, of Church View, Aston Magna, Moreton-in-Marsh, admitted two counts of supplying cocaine.
Corbett was jailed for four and half years and David and Gardner, who guarded the drugs for Goble, both got one year jail terms suspended for a year. David was also ordered to completed 100 hours community service, and Gardner 150 hours.
Goble and Corbett will be released after serving half of their sentences.
Prosecutor Don Tait said: "This investigation was set up by the Major Crime Group to stem the tide of controlled drugs in Cirencester specifically.
"Dean Goble was the principal target. He was at the centre of an operation to supply cocaine in Cirencester.
"He recruited the others to assist him because he had a reputation for being a drug dealer and needed to distance himself."
Police swooped on all four properties and found £250 worth of cocaine, along with £2,100 at Goble's home, while £500 worth of cocaine was found at Gardner's address and £500 of cannabis was discovered at Corbett's home.
Phones found at the addresses contained messages from Goble's customers.
When Goble's case was first heard in Cheltenham Magistrates in July 2006 there were 60 witnesses listed.
Mr Tait said: "The amounts found on the day may not have been the greatest but this was a consistent and quite professional operation that Dean Goble was running.
"Goble was not working and yet driving a BMW car and was spending inconsiderable amounts of cash for luxurious purposes."
Sgt Garrett Gloyn told the Standard: "This is an excellent example of intelligence-led policing.
"The dedication and perserverance of staff in the Major Crime Unit has resulted in one of the main dealers in town receiving a long custodial sentence."
The amount of money Goble made from dealing will now be investigated under the Proceeds of Crime Act which will see any cash or assets that Goble cannot prove he earned legitimately in the six years before his arrest will be seized.
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