Men admit possessing criminal cash that was seized from Shildon house

Three of the quartet, arrested at an apparently empty address in Shildon earlier this year, have now admitted possessing criminal property, money suspected to have been made from the sale of drugs.

A fourth man, who was not before the court on Thursday (September 8), is expected to also follow suit and admit the charge, before all four are sentenced next month.

The charges arise from a police visit to what was thought to have been a ‘vacant’ property, in Byerley Road, at 10.30pm on April 27.

Read more: Four arrested after stacks of cash and bags of drugs located in Shildon

Officers attended following information from members of the public, reporting “suspicious activity”, including loud noises coming from within the premises.

After arriving on the scene, the officers located the four men, a "substantial amount" of class B drugs and a large quantity of cash.

The men present, aged 22, 41, 26 and 35, were arrested at the scene and later charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug.

All four, Klodian Cela, 35, 41-year-old Leonard Cela, Alfred Hoxha, now 27, and Gentian Medulaj, now 23, admitted the charge at a hearing at Durham Crown Court on May 31.

But they denied a further count of possessing criminal property, relating to the bundles of notes recovered from the property.

A trial date was set, due to start at the court on October 10, to resolve that count.

But three of the men, Leonard Cela, Hoxha and Medulaj appeared via video link from nearby Durham Prison at a further plea hearing in the case at the court today.

The charge of possessing criminal property was put to each of them, via an Albanian interpreter, and they all pleaded guilty.

Read more: Police search uncovers cannabis farm in Shildon

Judge Jo Kidd said she had received an email from their legal representatives informing her of their intention to change plea on the charge.

She added: “Klodian Cela has not been brought before me today, just these three, but, having spoken to Mr (Chris) Baker, who represents him, I understand he, too, wants to plead guilty.”

Judge Kidd, therefore, listed all four to appear at a sentencing hearing on the original trial date, October 10, when the second charge will first be put to Klodian Cela.

Andrew Walker, for Leonard Cela, and Stephen Hamill, speaking on behalf of both Hoxha and Medulaj, for today’s purposes, said they would submit each defendant’s basis of plea for the sentencing hearing.

They were each remanded to remain in custody pending the sentencing hearing.

Read next:

Durham Police find cannabis grow in Shildon

Durham Police seize cannabis grow in Shildon

Albanian tended large cannabis grow in rented Shildon house

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