Cairns cousins Joel Anthony Zutt, Mason John Stephens sentenced for cocaine trafficking
Parcels of cocaine under a fake name intercepted at the Bungalow Post Office were one thing. Then these two Far North cousins well and truly put their foot in it. Read what happened in court here.
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A BUMBLING pair of first-time cocaine traffickers who came to the attention of police after they separately phoned the Bungalow Post Office inquiring after one of their missing drug shipments have been sentenced in the Cairns Supreme Court.
Cousins Joel Anthony Zutt, 23, and Mason John Stephens, 21, have both pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and MDA in the Cairns Supreme Court.
It was in April 2021 that Australian Border Force officials seized two parcels destined for Zutt’s address under a fake name at the Bungalow Post Office and alerted police after it was discovered one parcel contained two ounces of cocaine and the other contained half an ounce of cocaine, LSD, and a separate gram of cocaine.
The court heard both Stephens and Zutt made calls to the post office in relation to the missing package, leading police officers with search warrants to their respective front doors shortly thereafter.
Crown prosecutor Tegan Grasso said a police search of Stephens’ computer uncovered the existence of a CoinSpot account, which was being used to pay the duo’s supplier.
Ms Grasso said between October 2020 and April 2021, just over $72,600 was placed in the CoinSpot account, with $72,411 transferred out.
The court heard that after money was transferred, Zutt would get on Snapchat and advertise to potential customers.
“On for coke only got a few left, get in quick,” a caption on a photo tendered to the court read.
It was a pattern that the court heard was repeated in April after $7800 was deposited into the CoinSpot account.
“Again, Stephens sends (Zutt) a tracking number and then the next day or two days later (Zutt) advertises on his Snapchat ‘on for coke, get in quick’,” Ms Grasso said.
“In the background of that image there’s a cryovaced bag of cocaine, consistent with what was seized by police on April 7,” Ms Grasso said.
“The trafficking period is extended back to October on the basis that it really follows that pattern of the deposits into Stephens’ account and then money being transferred out in a similar pattern.”
An exhibit of exchanges between Stephens and Zutt was tendered to the court in August when the former was sentenced by Justice Jim Henry.
He noted one particular message where Stephens said to Zutt: “Bro. I am stressing so f***ing hard. Proper thinking I am off to jail. Shouldn’t have called. Just as everything is starting to go well.”
Justice Henry noted both were motivated by a desire for financial profit.
Taking into account Stephens’ youth, lack of criminal history, early plea of guilty, rehabilitative inroads, and letter to the court acknowledging his responsibility and regret, Justice Henry sentenced him to four years imprisonment, with a parole eligibility date after nine months.
Zutt’s lawyer Brydie Bilic at his sentencing on Monday tendered references on his behalf and said he had strong prospects of rehabilitation.
She said he was drug-dependent at the time of his offending but was well-supported by his family.
Taking into account Ms Bilic’s submissions and Zutt’s previous cannabis-related offending, Justice Henry sentenced him to four years imprisonment with parole eligibility after a year.
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Originally published as Cairns cousins Joel Anthony Zutt, Mason John Stephens sentenced for cocaine trafficking
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