“Lucky British” JAILED as £250K Crack Empire Crumbles
Once flaunting wealth as a music mogul, ‘Lucky British’ was unmasked in court as the mastermind of a crack and heroin empire flooding London and Essex…
Once flaunting wealth as a music mogul, ‘Lucky British’ was unmasked in court as the mastermind of a crack and heroin empire flooding London and Essex with Class A drugs.
A self-styled music promoter who used the alias ‘Lucky British’ has been sentenced to ten years in prison after being found guilty of running a profitable and illicit drugs operation supplying crack cocaine and heroin across London and Essex. Sheldon Johnson, aged 50, of Chigwell Road, Woodford Bridge, was unmasked as the leader of a drug line operating in both counties, using the façade of success, in the music industry to fund a lifestyle of designer clothes, expensive watches and lavish parties, that in reality they where struggling to financially keep up with.
Johnson, whose real name was revealed during proceedings at Chelmsford Crown Court, had portrayed himself as a high-flying promoter while in fact orchestrating a Class A drugs enterprise supported by two associates: Nyasha Best, 42, of Tiverton Road, Queen’s Park, London, and 37-year-old Annette Lawrence of Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, a music performer known by her stage name Lisa Mercedez.
The trio came to the attention of Essex Police following intelligence gathered by Operation Raptor and the Met’s Orochi team, working in conjunction with the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit. In June 2024, officers moved in on Johnson inside a retail premises in Woodford Bridge.
As officers approached, Johnson attempted to evade arrest, pushing towards the exit before being taken to the ground by officers. Upon detaining him, wraps of both crack cocaine and heroin were discovered on the floor where he had fallen. Two mobile phones, one of which was later proven to be the active drugs line, and a quantity of cash were also recovered from his person.
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A subsequent search of Johnson’s home address revealed further incriminating evidence. More than
£25,000 in cash
was seized alongside a vast haul of high-end fashion items, including designer clothing, shoes, sunglasses and accessories. Police also recovered a promotional poster advertising a music event titled as a birthday celebration for ‘Lucky’ — a direct reference to Johnson’s street identity. The poster, prominently featuring Johnson wearing identical designer clothing to that seized from his property, offered a
£1,000 cash prize
and served as both a branding tool and a visual representation of his double life.
Johnson, Best and Lawrence were all arrested in coordinated raids in June 2024. High-value clothing and mobile phones, including a basic ‘burner’ device commonly used to avoid detection, were recovered from both co-defendants’ residences. All three denied the charges of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. In addition, Johnson and Best faced and denied separate counts of possessing criminal property.
Following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, a jury convicted all three defendants on all counts. On Monday 31 March 2025, His Honour Judge Turner sentenced Johnson to ten years’ immediate custody. Nyasha Best received a seven-year custodial sentence. Annette Lawrence appeared separately before the same court on Friday 13 June 2025, where she received a two-year suspended sentence, alongside conditions to complete 50 hours of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Addressing the court during sentencing, Judge Turner remarked that despite efforts to project an image of wealth, the defendants were in fact
“The lowest of the low,”
emphasising that the profits they made were built on the exploitation and suffering of drug users across the region. He highlighted the strong evidence presented by the Crown, which included direct recovery of drugs, cash and the active drug line itself, as well as significant circumstantial evidence supporting the commercial nature of the enterprise.
Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings have been instigated to recover outstanding criminal assets, including the substantial cash and designer goods seized during the investigation. Detective Sergeant David Wilkinson, who led the investigation, stated that the convictions followed close collaboration between law enforcement agencies and confirmed that the defendants would be pursued through the courts until all avenues of criminal profit had been addressed.
