Mario Rea, 47, was a sidekick on the streets for Robert “Birdman” O’Hara, 48, while he was behind bars for the murder of a rival.
The vast amount of dirty cash raked in from the major narcotics operation funded an illicit lifestyle for O’Hara’s partner and daughter of luxury flats, fast cars as well as designer clothes and watches.
Rea was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.
He had earlier pled guilty to two charges of being involved in serious organised crime as well as another under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The court heard the gang was snared after a large-scale police probe in 2021.
O’Hara was serving a life sentence at the time having been convicted in 2005 for the murder of Paul McDowall in Glasgow’s Possilpark.
The Operation Gadget investigation had initially focused on another crew member David “Murfy” Hough.
Police went on to seize a huge haul of class A drugs, firearms, grenades, ammunition and an industrial pill press that churned out hundreds of thousands of street Valium tablets.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC then explained: “During investigations, it became clear that Robert O’Hara was the principal of the crime group despite being in prison since 2004.
“Additional inquiries revealed that his family – in particular his long-term partner Michelle Maxwell and his daughter Kendal O’Hara – were living a very desirable lifestyle.
“This included living in expensive houses, driving supercars, purchasing and owning designer clothes and jewellery, which was being paid for by Robert O’Hara’s criminal funds.”
The advocate depute added O’Hara had been helped by others on the “outside world” including Rea, Hough, 45, and 35 year-old William Pollock.
The gangster was locked up in Addiewell between September 13 and 28 2018.
He was then in HMP Low Moss between September 28 2018 and May 28 2021.
O’Hara exchanged texts and photos with associates using three illicit phones while behind bars.
Mr Prentice said: “The messages sent by him to others, while in prison, show his awareness of day to day operations and his direction to others to carry out actions on his behalf to obtain material benefit.”
During hearings late last year and last month, the prosecutor revealed the vital roles played by Rea, Hough and Pollock.
In connection with Rea, Mr Prentice stated that he used dirty money to “facilitate the lifestyles” for the gang boss’ partner Michelle Maxwell and daughter Kendal O’Hara.
This included organising under false pretences for them to stay in a £5,000-a-month townhouse in Glasgow’s Claremont Terrace in the West End as well as a high-end flat in nearby Park Circus.
O’Hara was raging at one stage as Rea – reportedly an enemy of the Lyons crime mob – had not paid the rent on his behalf.
The killer stormed: “See if my family are papped out, there will be no talking.
“There will be no nothing, mate. We will be falling out over this.”
There was so much cash flooding in O’Hara wanted to buy a £225,000 Lamborghini Huracan.
He also sent his partner 71 links on the Rightmove property site of houses in affluent areas ranging in value from £500,000 to £1m.
These included a £525,000 flat in Glasgow’s Kelvinside and a £635,000 house in Aberfoyle, Stirlingshire.
The court was further told of Rea’s other work for O’Hara.
Mr Prentice added: “Rea exchanged messages with others in relation to organising the sale and purchase of drugs (while) providing and being provided with criminal money.
“He also concealed, converted and transferred £79,760 through his bank account.
“In this, he was or appeared to be directed by Robert O’Hara.
The court heard Rea was also linked to other large drug trafficking in Scotland and England involving more than £2m of cocaine, heroin and cannabis.
This was following the separate Operation Dorrigo investigation.
Jim Keegan KC, defending, said Rea had got involved with the crime mob and that “the consequences of entering the group were inevitable”.
Lord Arthurson told Rea: “Your position appears to be that you were acting for a criminal principal against your will and could not see any way out the situation.
“Nevertheless, you acted for an organised crime group assisting the principal, in particular you facilitated the lifestyles of family members of him.”
The judge added Rea was involved in drug trafficking on an “industrial scale”.
O’Hara was sentenced to nine years in March 2025 after he pled guilty to directing serious organised crime.
Both Hough and Pollock were separately jailed for three years each.
They had both admitted to a charge of being involved in organised crime.
Hough was already serving six years he got in 2021 after a raid on a street Valium factory in Renfrewshire as well as guns, ammunition and hand grenades being found at a “safe house” in Glasgow.
Pollock was back in the dock where a four year serious crime prevention order – known as a super-Asbo – was imposed on him.
These are designed to tackle and monitor offenders once they are freed.
There had been a reporting ban on identifying Rea, Hough and Pollock only lifted when all three admitted their guilt.