A fugitive member of a Scots crime supergang has been jailed for five years and 10 months for his role in a massive £15m drugs and dirty money operation.
John Gray was at the top table of the mob alongside kingpin brothers Barry and James Gillespie as well as James “The Don” White.
The 53-year-old, who later fled to the United Arab Emirates, was snared at Glasgow Airport in March this year having landed back in Scotland.
Gray was sentenced after pleading guilty to a charge of being involved in serious organised crime between August 2015 and June 2020.
Lord Cubie told the mobster at the High Court in Glasgow: “You had a significant, sustained and persistent involvement in the supply, storage and adulterant of three drugs over a significant period of time as well as the movement of related money.
“The purchase and sale of these drugs gives rise to misery, poverty, theft and death.
“Drugs are corrosive and destructive and your actions helped fund serious organised crime.
“Cocaine is a dangerous drug with deadly consequences.
“You were what the police describe as a top tier operator. The application for a serious crime prevention order rightly describes your role as ‘integral’.
“Your motivation appears to have been purely for personal financial gain. You were not driven to this by any dependency issues or pressure – you just sought easy profits by exploiting the weakness and misery of others.”
“You missed your own mother’s funeral. You left Scotland and followed a lifestyle which which hampered your ability to live as you wish and this was your choice after being involved in offences of this matter.
“You will recognise that what you have pleaded guilty to is extremely serious which extended over a period of years at a high level.”
Gray was also hit with a three-year serious crime prevention order.
Gray, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, was caught during the huge Operation Escalade probe into the gang described as “the most sophisticated” Scots police had ever encountered for their dealings in drugs, firearms, serious violence and dirty money.
He was initially clocked in a summit meeting with “principle members” of the crew in Glasgow’s Princes Square shopping mall.
Prosecutor Christopher Miller said: “The purpose was to ascertain the whereabouts of criminal cash in the excess of £1 million.”
He was also at another similar meeting at a KFC restaurant in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, as well as in nearby Motherwell town centre.
Mobsters also got together in Gibson Street in Glasgow’s west end.
Mr Miller said: “Gray was seen to get in a car with James White and drive off.”
Gray was further captured having a chat with White at a cafe in the city’s Shawlands.
The court also heard Gray got his hands on an encrypted EncroChat device after meeting an associate at a Toby Carvery pub car park.
Like many criminals, this helped lead to his undoing after the law authorities busted the phone network in 2020.
Mr Miller explained: “Gray operated at the top tier level of being concerned in the supply of unadulterated cocaine, cannabis and diamorphine around Glasgow, Paisley and elsewhere.
“He was also involved in the storing, processing and moving of money associated with both the purchase and sale of the drugs but also monies derived from that which formed the sources of funds for the organised crime group.”
Gray was in touch on EncroChat with a string of underworld figures including Darren “Big Poppa” Collin, who was jailed for eight years for drug trafficking in 2020.
Mr Miller stated that the total amount of cocaine Gray was involved with ranged between £4.5 million and £13.5 million.
Cannabis had a value of £497,500.
Gray was also involved in the collecting of £1 million as well as obtaining a substance to bulk out and help maximise profits for drugs.
Brian McConnachie KC, defending, said: “It seems to be the case that he became involved in this matter and got deeper into it as time went on.
“He wants to stay away from that kind of lifestyle and people he was involved with at that time.”
James White was jailed for almost 10 years in 2023 for heading the crime gang after the Gillespie brothers went missing.
White had been hauled back to Scotland having escaped to a bolthole in Brazil.
Jail terms totalling well in excess of 100 years have been imposed following convictions from the large-scale Escalade investigation.