Arsenal Academy product Jaye Manuel – Thomas was sentenced to four years in prison last month for his role in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot, but is already back in the game
Disgraced Arsenal footballer Jay Emmanuel Tromas is back in the game just a month after being jailed for four years. The 34-year-old was sentenced in June on his side of a 600,000-pound drug smuggling plot, what he called “a catastrophic error in judgment.”
Emmanuel Thomas was fired by Scotland’s Championship Side Greenock Morton after being arrested last September. The former Arsenal Academy product initially denied the charges, but turned his plea to guilty at a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex on May 7th.
After being convicted, he was charged with four years in prison, but was later released on parole, serving a 10-month sentence at HMP Chelmsford.
National League South Side AFC Totton confirmed his signature before the new season.
Emmanuel Thomas was arrested after a National Crime Agency officer was taken to Stansted Airport by his girlfriend and two women, who were friends, and he was arrested after seizing an estimated 600,000 pounds of cannabis.
Prosecutor David Josse KC told Chelmsford Crown Court the “intercept” of two women, Emmanuel Thomas’ girlfriend, Yasmine Piotrovka and her friend Rosie Roland.
He said, “It has been revealed that this defendant, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, was involved in recruiting for a trip to Thailand.”
Before handing out the verdict, Judge Alexander Mills said, “Through your own actions, you will no longer be known as a professional soccer player. You will be known as a criminal. A professional soccer player who has dumped it all.”
Football players, whose former clubs include Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, Aberdeen and Thai PTT Rayon, were sentenced in early June.
“Emmanuel Thomas’ economic benefits from this incident were £5,000,” said Alex Rose of Emmanuel Thomas.
Rose said the defendant was the father of two and made “a catastrophic error in judgment.” He said “the period outside of contract led to a very important financial difficult period,” and “suffled to temptation.”
In a letter read in court before the verdict, Emmanuel Thomas wrote: “The last year has been the most harmful and eye-opener of my life.
He added that he “never imagined” he was in this situation, adding that he is totally regretful, but he is fully responsible for his actions.”
