The Queen and the Kingpin: How Miss Swimsuit contestant built a cocaine empire with boyfriend
DERBYSHIRE, ENGLAND: Miss Swimsuit UK contestant has been jailed for seven years and three months after helping to create a cocaine empire in a Derbyshire town with her drugs kingpin boyfriend. Melissa Mikosz, 32, lived a "lavish, holiday-filled lifestyle" with her partner in crime, Thomas Carlisle, 28, and bought her son a £2,000 (approx $2,346) Christmas present. Mikosz competed in Miss Swimwear UK in 2019 and was hailed for taking part as she suffers from Crohn's disease.
The couple allegedly supplied 4.3kg of cocaine, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds in Shirebrook, Mansfield in Derbyshire over a two-year period between 2018 and 2020. Carlisle was jailed for 11 years and three months after using Mikosz and his other girlfriend, Georgia Vincent, 23, to launder the proceeds. Prosecutor Jonathan Cox said, "the scale of the operation was so vast that they often ran out of drugs bags and one of Carlisle's dealers reported closing 18 deals a day." The mother, Mikosz apparently stored cocaine and weapons at a property in Shirebrook, which she shared with her young son.
READ MORE
From Portland to SF, how 'open-air drug markets' turned liberal dreams into residents' NIGHTMARE
The court heard Mikosz sent a text to Carlisle saying "we can go out tomorrow and 'smash the sales' and established a 'drug line' for him while nearly £60,000 (approx $70,391) was seized from her bank." At the time, competing in Miss Swimwear UK, she said, "I think the competitions are all about empowering women and it doesn't matter who you are, how old you are or where you come from, we all work together to empower more women to do the same." "It would mean the world to me to win the competition and to represent the area," she added. Miss Swimsuit UK says, "it looks for the UK's most beautiful inside and out swimsuit models."
Police found cocaine and thousands of pounds in cash when they raided a series of properties in Shirebrook in July 2020. She was jailed for seven years on August 25 for conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering at Derby crown court, MailOnline reports. Judge Nirmal Shant QC told Mikosz, "You were a willing and enthusiastic participant, you enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and the trappings of Mr Carlisle's criminality. It's quite plain on a number of occasions your address was visited by police that did not deter you." “You seemed prepared to put your son in a position where he was present during police raids,” the judge said. The swimsuit model was jailed for seven years on August 25 for conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Carlisle admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs and convert criminal property and was jailed for 11 years and three months at Derby Crown Court. Gang members Justin Woodham, 37, Adam Betts, 33, and Adrian Mohammed, 34, were also jailed. Judge Shant told Carlisle, "This was a prolific and large-scale operation and you Carlisle were at the head of the day-to-day supply of class A drugs. You organized the group and you ensured everyone did as they should, you had a dedicated drug line and there were multiple traffickers," the Judge continued. "There was a real persistence to your behavior."
His girlfriend Georgia Vincent, 23, also sold on the streets. She received £25,000 (approx $29,329) of Carlisle's drug money while sending him new customers and dealing. The judge said, "It's fair to say you had a limited involvement and cannot have had full awareness of the scale of the enterprise." "You formed a relationship with Carlisle at a time when you had perhaps not had any other meaningful relationship." "You were taking money and were selling directly to people on the street on behalf of Carlisle." Derbyshire Police Detective Constable Holloway said, "The damage that drugs and drug-related crimes cause should not be underestimated."