Rapper Rikardo aka Stardom has been jailed for more than twelve years after supplying cocaine and heroin to Aberdeen in Scotland. He was reportedly the head of Birmingham drugs gang led called 'Flash Line' who have now all been jailed for a of total 45 years. The 34-year-old from Sutton Coldfield was once a promising footballer, has more than 85,000 followers on Instagram and had even has a successful music studio in Dubai. But the father-of-three was described at Birmingham Crown Court as a "wasted talent."

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Stardom was previously exposed as a member of the GSA gang - Goon Squad Army or Get Some Ambition - a young offshoot of the infamous Johnson Crew. In 2021, he was performing at the Levana bar in Birmingham when he was targeted by rival gang Burger Bar Boys counterpart Armed Response. This led to a huge fight breaking out and the venue evacuating in panic.

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Stardom's 'second-in-command' Joshua Nelson, aged 35, from Walsall, was jailed for 12 years and ten months years. The court was told he had conducted his own 'market research' by Googling the ten best areas for dealing crack cocaine and heroin in the UK. He also researched the cities with the "highest drug use."

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Aberdeen-based distributor Ian Massie, aged 41, was handed 11 years and six months. Recruit Mickel Gardner, aged 40, was jailed for five years having allowed his address in Erdington to be used as a safehouse. He also had occasional control of the drugs line itself. Drug courier and former Selfridges make up artist Cree Dacres, aged 29 from Sutton Coldfield was sentenced to three years and five months.

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Street dealer Himesh Suri, 28, of no fixed address, was handed nine months consecutive to a term of imprisonment he is currently serving. The drug racket ran between 2017 and 2022. Meanwhile head of the operation, Stardom, was sentenced in total to 12 years and nine months in prison. Passing sentence today Judge Andrew Smith KC said: "The supply of heroin and crack cocaine was highly organised, well-resourced and involved the crossing of the English and Scottish border. It was a highly resilient criminal agreement capable of coping with the demand and the efforts of police to disrupt and curtail criminal activities."

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