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A player who once featured in the Premier League has been handed a jail sentence after being found guilty of running a business selling laughing gas 'on a commercial scale'.
Jamar Loza began his senior playing career at Norwich City in 2013, and played just once in the English top flight, when the Canaries lost 2-0 to Arsenal in May a year later.
The forward then saw out a series of loans away from Carrow Road which took him to clubs including Coventry City, Yeovil Town, and Stevenage, before the player moved on in 2016 to bounce around lower-league outfits.
But in 2022, the 31-year-old was arrested twice in one week, with the first stop seeing police find a number of nitrous oxide canisters in his Mercedes on August 17 of that year.
Loza was arrested, interviewed, and released, before police sanctioned him again days later in a second stop.
The former player was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting to two counts of possession of a psychoactive substance with intent to supply, and supplying a psychoactive substance.
Former Norwich City star Jamar Loza has been found guilty and handed a 28-month sentence
The striker had been buying and supplying laughing gas at £10,000 per pallet on an 'industrial scale' when he was arrested three years ago
The court heard how Loza had been supplying the substance by the pallet, at a cost of £10,000 per pallet. between London and Norfolk, and hired two delivery drivers as part of running his business.
The former Maidstone United player was reported to have bragged to other sellers of the substance that he was 'making so much money (he) didn't know what to do with it', with Recorder Ruth Brander noting in her remarks that the business was supplying 'on an industrial scale'.
Alongside Loza, co-defendant Lydia Punchard - who appeared in court heavily pregnant - was handed a six-month suspended sentence for one count of supplying nitrous oxide.
A former team-mate Loza's at Norwich, Darren Eadie, called his ex-colleague a 'really good role model' when asked to give a character reference, citing his role coaching with him at Suffolk side Leiston where he saw Loza teach young players ''ow to conduct themselves on and off the pitch'.
But upon news of his sentence breaking, Loza saw his contract ended by his current club Kettering.
'With the news this week that Jamar Loza has been sentenced for an incident which took place prior to his association with Kettering Town, we can confirm that the club has taken steps to terminate his playing contract with the Poppies,' a club statement read.
'During his time with us, Jamar made a positive contribution on the pitch and we are grateful for his performances in the club's colours.
After leaving the Canaries Loza played at a number of lower-league sides (pictured in 2019) before he was let go by Kettering Town this week
'While we take no satisfaction in this outcome from a football perspective, as a club, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity.'
Loza had last turned out for his side as a substitute during their 2-0 defeat against Alvechurch last weekend, but had scored two league goals for his club this season.
As well as featuring on English soil, Loza was also capped internationally, making four appearances for Jamaica in 2014.
