Drug dealer Dimitri Kalogeridis jailed after police find loaded gun during search for wanted man

A wanted man hiding in the roof led police to an alarming discovery and exposed a drug dealer who had spiralled back into a life of crime.

Police uncovered more than they bargained for when they found a wanted man hiding in the roof of a drug dealer’s home.

Dimitri Lambrinos Kalogeridis, 33, spiralled back into a life of drugs and crime only months after being released on parole.

The Adelaide District Court heard police attended Kalogeridis’ Mawson Lakes property on November 2, 2020.

“They were looking for another wanted person who was found hiding in the roof space,” Judge Jane Schammer said during sentencing.

Police found eight rounds of ammunition in the roof space and a loaded sawn-off rifle in the kitchen.

After a DNA result from the gun returned a positive match to Kalogeridis they returned to his house on December 26, 2020.

Kalogeridis maintained he knew nothing about the firearm and had never seen it before.

Police searched Kalogeridis’ home and found a small amount of drugs, which was uncharged, and prescribed equipment.

They seized his mobile phone and found a number of encrypted messaging applications and a price list of common quantities of methamphetamine.

“Police found messages consistent with you engaging in the business of selling methamphetamine,” Judge Schammer said.

Supplied Editorial Dimitri Kalogeridis was jailed for drug trafficking. Photo: Facebook

The Mawson Lakes father pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and possessing a loaded firearm.

The court heard Kalogeridis turned to gambling after a back injury in 2013 and accrued significant debts.

He started associating with negative peers, becoming reliant on drugs and started committing crimes to support his addiction.

The court heard Kalogeridis was released on parole in May 2020 from earlier offending and began working for his father in his yiros shop and also found work in steel fixing.

However, Kalogeridis made the “very poor decision” to revert back to drug use after his mental health deteriorated.

“Your counsel submitted that your house became something of a drop-in centre for others who used drugs and people who were regularly in contact with the criminal justice system,” Judge Schammer said.

The court heard Kalogeridis now accepted he knew the firearm was in the house.

“You claim you were holding it, as a favour, for someone else who was involved in the drug world,” Judge Schammer said.

“You were dealing in street levels of methamphetamine to support your drug addiction and to fund your living expenses, including lease repayments.”

The court heard Kalogeridis had written a letter of apology to the court and stated he was committed to addressing his drug addiction after seeing the pain it caused his family.

Adding on Kalogeridis’ unexpired parole period, Judge Schammer sentenced him to seven years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of four years.

“You and your family know the terrible impact drugs such as methamphetamine have,” she said.

“They ruin the lives of people like you who are addicted to them and cause misery to their families and to the wider community.”

The sentence was backdated to December 26, 2020.