LIVERPOOL, UK — Jake Moorcroft, a 25-year-old drug dealer from Everton, has been sentenced to 8 years and 8 months in prison after admitting to dealing Class A drugs via the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat.
Operating under the pseudonym “InvincibleHound”, Moorcroft was involved in the supply of significant quantities of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis from 2020. Prosecutors revealed that Moorcroft was running a “well-established business” in drug trafficking, with around 54 contacts on his Encro phone, and had been in communication with 33 of them over a three-month period.
Moorcroft worked closely with a contact known as “BigD*”** in the sourcing and selling of kilograms of drugs, including the production of crack cocaine and cutting drugs to maximize profits. Evidence showed that Moorcroft had a hand in distributing 2.25 kg of heroin, 5.5 kg of cocaine, and 6 kg of cannabis.
Despite his illicit operations, Moorcroft managed to evade capture until February 6, 2025, when police finally arrested him at his home. When officers confronted him, Moorcroft reportedly taunted them, saying, “It took you five years, lad.” In addition to his drugs operation, police also seized an extendable baton and £15,600 in cash from an associated property.
The court also learned that Moorcroft had a history of criminal activity in Belgium, where he was previously sentenced to 18 months suspended for drug-related offenses in 2018. Moorcroft claimed he was unaware of the conviction, stating that he had been arrested at a music festival in Europe, but did not know the details of the Belgian legal proceedings.
Moorcroft’s defense attorney, Anthony Barraclough, argued that Moorcroft’s actions were influenced by his environment, noting that he came from a loving family but had made poor choices. Moorcroft admitted to charges of conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine, and cannabis, along with possessing an offensive weapon in a private place and breaching a suspended sentence order.
At sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint expressed the devastating impact of Moorcroft’s drug dealing, stating, “Drugs wreck lives” and highlighted the role that his business had in perpetuating misery in society. The judge acknowledged that Moorcroft had the potential for a better life but said, “The only person to blame is you.”
Moorcroft’s family was visibly upset in the public gallery, with one woman seen in tears, blowing him a kiss as he was led away to begin his sentence.
