Does crime pay?

Worthing family ordered to pay back profits from their drugs empire but the cupboard is almost bare.

Jordon Moore, two of his brothers, his mother and girlfriend made £1.1m from drug dealing. Yesterday under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) a judge at Hove Crown Court granted an order stripping them of the profits from their drugs empire but police have calculated the family are now only worth about £30,000 between them.

Following an investigation by Sussex Police's Economic Crime Unit, assets including a Mercedes car, Rolex watches, other gold jewelery and cash have been seized. Under POCA, officers identified the total amount the gang had made from their crimes, researched their remaining assets and applied for these to be confiscated.

A spokeswoman for Sussex police said: "Criminals spend large amounts of money on disposable items - such as holidays and socialising - and lose considerable value through depreciation on regularly-replaced cars, so their remaining assets are usually worth much less than their overall criminal earnings.

"However, POCA powers also allow any future earnings or other assets subsequently identified to be confiscated, up to the total amount they have benefited."

The ring leader Jordon Moore, 28, of Cotswold Road, Worthing, was assessed to have benefited to the tune of £674,624 from his criminal activities and under the Act had remaining assets to the value of £7,120 confiscated. He is still serving a 19-year sentence for his involvement in the supply of cocaine and cannabis in Worthing, following a trial last year.

His younger brother, Lewis Moore, 25, of Cheviott Road, Worthing, benefited from £122,261 and had assets to the value of £5,000 confiscated. He was sentenced to 3 years 6 months imprisonment in September for conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and possession of criminal property.

The eldest brother, Anthony Moore, 30, of Harefield Avenue, Worthing, benefited from £53,900 and had assets to the value of £4,501 confiscated. He was sentenced to 2 years and 11 months imprisonment for conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and possession of criminal property.

The brothers' mother, Maxine Moore, 56, of Cheviott Road, Worthing, benefited from £19,461 and had assets to the value of £6,500 confiscated. She had received a 52-week sentence suspended for two years for possession of criminal property.

Carrie-Anne McGee, 26, of Cotswold Road, Worthing, who was Jordon Moore's girlfriend, benefited from £259,624 and had assets to the value of £8,000 confiscated. She was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for conspiracy to supply Class A and Class C drugs and possession of criminal property.