A notorious 'godfather' who sold machines guns
to criminals in Birmingham while at the heart of a
gang which gunned down two innocent girls in a
botched attack has been jailed for 16 years.
Nigerian Nosakhere Stephenson, 41, (pictured above)
masterminded an operation to sell antique
firearms and specially-made bullets to criminals
around the West Midlands city. Fitzroy Ducram
(Below), known as one of Nosa's right hand men
was jailed for more than seven years
Police say the gun dealer, known as 'Nosa',
believed he was 'untouchable' as he ran the
operation alongside fellow gang members from
inside the infamous Burger Bar Boys gang.
The gang - which for years fought a bloody and
protracted feud with the rival Johnson Crew -
trafficked weapons including a MAC 10 machine
gun, a brutal weapon which was used in one of
Birmingham's most notorious murders.
Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis were
innocent victims caught in the crossfire of the
two warring gangs, whose turf war blighted the
Aston area of Birmingham for over a decade and
cost dozens of lives.
Their murders, which took place in 2003,
propelled Birmingham’s gun crime problem into
the national headlines and kick-started campaigns
by residents who had grown tired of the daily
acts of violence.
Eighteen men have now been convicted for a
series of offences relating to the criminal firearms
operation which Stephenson ran.
As he was jailed for 16 years, Detective Constable
Phil Rodgers said the police operation - and
subsequent haul of dozens of weapons and
ammunition - had undoubtedly prevented more
murders in the city.
The court heard how the gang had thousands of
rounds of ammunition specially made to be used
with guns and revolvers, which they sold for
about £3,000 each.
Although Stephenson was never caught in
possession of the guns, phone records linked him
to each deal and every other person in the
conspiracy - including his right-hand man,
Sundish Nazran, who was jailed for 13 years.
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