Family Drug Gang Busted in Alderley Edge
Julie Finney, 48, her son Marcus Finney, 28, and Dylan Hepburn, 19, were slammed with jail at Chester Crown Court on Monday, March 20. The trio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drug cocaine and Class B cannabis.
Sentences Handed Down
- Marcus Finney got 4½ years behind bars.
- Julie Finney was sentenced to three years in prison.
- Dylan Hepburn received an 18-month suspended sentence.
Operation Yellow Lakeside Uncovers Drug Network
The family, from Oakfield Close, Alderley Edge, ran a drug supply operation between January 2020 and May 2021. It fell apart when police raided their home on December 18, 2020, during Operation Yellow Lakeside. Officers found cannabis, a small stash of MDMA, and over £1,000 cash in Hepburn’s bedroom.
Dylan was arrested, along with two others later cleared of involvement. Then on March 3, 2021, plainclothes cops stopped Marcus Finney acting suspiciously at Alderley Edge train station. A search turned up cannabis, cash, and a phone riddled with messages arranging drug sales.
Back at the family home, police seized more cannabis and drug paraphernalia from Marcus’s room. A search of him in custody uncovered cocaine worth about £100.
Damning Phone Evidence Seals Their Fate
- Phones revealed the brothers used encrypted Flare messaging to peddle cocaine and cannabis across the area.
- They arranged bulk kilo purchases of drugs.
- Text data from their mother’s phone showed drugs stored at the family home and her bank details used to receive payments.
PC Sam Needham said: “With the strength of the evidence, the trio had little choice but to plead guilty. Their convictions highlight excellent police work and prove the value of stop searches. I hope their sentences serve as a warning: if you come to Cheshire to commit crime, we will catch you and bring you to justice.”
