“These videos glorified the criminality that he was engaged in and how much money he was making from these exploits”
Sporting designer clothes and gold chains in the music video posted online, Clint Curtis (29) “glorified” in his criminal lifestyle.
In clips that showed him surrounded by hooded men he was also seen cooking and eating porridge as he rapped about having to “whip it like oatmeal”, a reference to the production of drugs.
Another even showed police searching his vehicle but he was so cocky about getting away with his life of crime that he rapped about how “the feds (are) searching the G Wag, you know the G's hot”.
He was one of four members of the 'Lex' drug line responsible for the supply of heroin and crack cocaine that was taken down by specialist detectives from Greater Manchester Police's Serious Organised Crime Group.
“Unfortunately for Clint Curtis and his associates, following a covert operation and several searches of their cars and houses, a firearm was seized along with large quantities of drugs, all of which have landed them in jail for a long time,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.
He rapped about having to “whip it like oatmeal”, a reference to the production of drugs
He rapped about having to “whip it like oatmeal”, a reference to the production of drugs
It was the seizure of the firearm that led to the gang’s downfall.
The firearm was sent for forensic testing, which confirmed that the weapon had been used in four firearms discharges in Greater Manchester, including a fatal shooting of a man in East Manchester in 2012.
Police then launched a “strike day’ on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, across Greater Manchester in which Clint Curtis was arrested at an address on Beamish Close in Ardwick.
David Curtis was arrested at an address in Radcliffe after he attempted to hide and lock himself in the loft. After some negotiation, he came down before trying to hide his mobile phone.
On Monday, June 3, after being wanted by police for two weeks, Jerome Williams handed himself into police and was swiftly arrested.
From extensive phone analysis, detectives identified that Clint Curtis was the primary controller of the drugs line, as well as being heavily involved with the street dealing.
The group had access to several different safe houses across Manchester and Stockport, where they stored their drugs, and as police would soon discover, a firearm.
Officers from the force’s County Lines Team established that from October 9, 2023 to April 1, 2024, the group sent almost 50,000 “flare messages” via the Lex Line.
These messages advertised their commodities and opening hours with detectives estimating that in this period, the group sold over three kilos of drugs with a street sale value of £300,000.
A surveillance operation followed and after several weeks observing the group go about their daily business, police executed several warrants on Thursday, April 24 2024, at addresses in Moss Side.
Believed to be their safe houses, police recovered heroin, crack cocaine, several mobile phones, and items belonging to Jerome Williams, highlighting he had been there.
While officers searched the safe houses, Curtis and Williams were spotted driving round the local area. They later drove back to Stockport and entered another safe house on Peak Bank.
Following the warrants in Moss Side, the men’s behaviour was described as “panicked” as they checked the other safe houses to see if they had also been compromised.
On Tuesday, May 7, police executed a warrant at an address on Caythorpe Street in Moss Side. Inside, they found Giovanni Edmonson and another female.
While searching the house, police located the firearm, two magazines containing ammunition, and a tray of ammunition in a box, in a bag in a bedroom.
It was the seizure of this firearm that led to the gang’s downfall.
It was the seizure of this firearm that led to the gang’s downfall.
Clint Curtis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, but was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life.
He was sentenced to 19 years and four months.
Jerome Williams was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life. He was sentenced to 12 years.
Giovanni Edmondson was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to enable another to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to enable another to endanger life. She was sentenced to five years.
David Curtis was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced to six years.
Detective Inspector Rick Castley from the Serious Organised Crime Group said: “Clint Curtis boasted of his criminal exploits in several rap videos that were published to YouTube for all to see.
“These videos glorified the criminality that he was engaged in and how much money he was making from these exploits, with no regard for the people who were impacted by his crimes.
“These men made significant profits at the expense of vulnerable drug users and were in possession of a deadly weapon.
“Tackling the criminal use of firearms is a priority for Greater Manchester Police and we will continue to do everything in our power to achieve that.”