Danika Karotos will be sentenced in July for drug trafficking at Edwardstown
A woman who pivoted to commercial drug dealing when her beauty business failed because of Covid-19 was found with a tick list showing her customers owed her $25k.
South
Don't miss out on the headlines from South . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A beautician running a commercial drug dealing business was found with methamphetamine, fantasy and a tick list during a raid.
Danika Karotos, 29, turned to an illegal side hustle after her business collapsed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Adelaide District Court on Thursday heard police found 31.11g of mixed methamphetamine and 1.23kg of GHB during a raid of an Edwardstown property on August 6, 2020.
The methamphetamine was valued between $8000 and up to $31,000 if sold in points, and the fantasy was valued at up to $3000.
Police also found digital scales, numerous plastic resealable bags, three mobile phones, a vacuum sealing machine and a CCTV system.
Jessica Houlahan, for the prosecution, told the court there was “significant element of commerciality” in Karotos’ business and she was trading for profit.
“In the main bedroom, police located $2770 cash and in the same drawer a tick list which had nine different names on it in the bedside table drawers with the cash,” she said.
“Adding up the amounts on the tick list, there is about $25,000 recorded.”
Karotos pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.
Andrew Moffa, for Karotos, told the court she had worked consistently in the beauty industry from 2009 until Covid-19 hit.
“She started her business in 2016, which eventually failed as a result of Covid,” he said.
“She was a user and to fund that usage she would sell some of the product to fund that use.”
The court heard Karotos had been remaining abstinent from drugs.
Mr Moffa said there was no trappings of wealth and he pushed for a suspended sentence, due to Karotos’ family support and lack of criminal history.
However, Ms Houlahan said prosecution was opposed to any suspended or home detention sentence.
“The prevalence of methamphetamine use in South Australia continues to cause harm to the community,” she said.
Judge Timothy Heffernan will sentence Karotos in July.
Shock jobs with the best chance of buying an SA home
Leaving school and looking to buy your first home? New research has revealed which uni and TAFE courses will get you onto the property ladder the fastest.
Mapped: Adelaide parking fine hotspots where you’ll get stung
Councils have raked in more than $23 million in car parking fines in a year and an Advertiser investigation reveals where and when you’re most likely to get caught.