Cheshire drug kingpin with £15k Rolex made £500k in four-year enterprise

Now he's behind bars

Drug kingpin Lee James made around £500,000 during a four-year enterprise that saw him fill his home with designer items. But the 39-year-old, who had a Rolex worth more than £15,000, is behind bars where detectives say he can 'contemplate whether it was worth it'.

It comes as James, of Shavington, had admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, possession of criminal property, and converting criminal property. His empire unravelled back in July 2024 when an officer stopped a BMW M5 on Crewe's Bradfield Road.

The defendant and vehicle were searched - with James producing £1,000 from his pocket along with a mobile. Cheshire Police then searched James' home where a number of cannabis vape pens were seized.

The defendant was also found to be in possession of a gold Rolex watch worth £15,800 and a gold-plated chain worth £8,300. In December a second search of his address was carried out.

On that occasion items seized included a mobile phone, £2,455 in cash, an e-bike worth £4,000, cannabis vapes and gummies, receipts for high value furniture and a large quantity of designer items including clothing, footwear, handbags and perfumes believed to be in excess of £38,000.

Cops analysed the mobile phone and bank accounts that 'showed evidence of drug dealing'. The force say it was established that James benefitted from more than half a million pounds of financial gain as a result of the supply class A and class B drugs across a four-year period between 2021 and 2025.

During a hearing at Chester Crown Court this month, James, of Woodnoth Drive, Shavington, was handed a seven-year prison term. Detectives have welcomed the lengthy sentence.

A spokesperson for the force said: "James has been handed a significant custodial sentence which reflects the severity of his crimes. He clearly reaped the benefits of his criminal activity, with high value and designer items being found in his address – but as this case shows, crime does not pay.

“Those items were seized by our officers, and he is now behind bars for a considerable number of years where he will be able to contemplate whether it was worth it. Drugs don’t just have an impact on drug users, they affect entire communities, and our fight against those who choose to exploit this continues. If you have any information on drug-related activity where you live, please call us on 101 or report information online.”

NEWSLETTER: Sign up for CheshireLive email direct to your inbox here