ringleader
/ˈrɪŋliːdə
/noun
A person who initiates or leads an illicit or illegal activity: the four ringleaders were sentenced to death on the gibbet...
- Police raided the ringleader's business and confiscated 35 stolen laptops and 20 PDAs.
- The ringleaders of the Council were rounded up in a joint effort between the French government and the British Royal Navy.
- The ringleader was sentenced to eight years in prison.