Steve Vozzo, 44, sentenced after agreeing to loan shark ‘ultimatum’ to pay off gambling debt

A loving father addicted to Xanax and gambling was given an ultimatum – repay the $500,000 he owed or start growing and sell weed for gangsters.

A father of three addicted to gambling who became caught in a debt trap has been jailed after pleading guilty to multiple drug-related offences.

Appearing before Her Honour Judge Joana Fuller last Friday for sentencing, Steve Vozzo, 44, had previously pleaded guilty to cultivating a large commercial quantity of controlled plants for sale, trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug and cultivating controlled plants for sale.

The court heard after accruing a gambling debt of more than $500k, the Payneham man was issued an ultimatum by his loan sharks to either repay the sum or oversee the cultivation of cannabis plants.

“You developed a gambling habit and a chronic addiction to Xanax and Valium, which you had been prescribed for stress management,” Judge Fuller said.

Police located 163 cannabis plants along with 41.532kg of dry cannabis plant material. Picture: SA Police

“You would go to the casino placing large bets, hoping to make a million dollars to free yourself from the debt. You started borrowing money from loan sharks to keep gambling – the arrangement with those loan sharks was that any amount that you had borrowed that remained unpaid by the end of the month would accrue 10 per cent interest.

“On the occasions you were unable to pay the interest, threats were made against you and your family. When your debt eventually accumulated to the tune of half a million dollars, you were issued an ultimatum: either repay the entire sum or oversee the cultivation of cannabis plants as a means of discharging your debt in full. In fear and desperation and seeing no way out, you agreed to do so.”

On April 24, 2022, police attended an industrial shed complex at Thebarton – investigating a Crime Stoppers report cannabis was being “hydroponically cultivated there”.

Police noticed a smell of cannabis and heard noises consistent with fans and filters. The next day, they returned with a search warrant and uncovered 163 cannabis plants along with 41.5kg of dry cannabis plant material.

The court heard the police went to his house three days later and found a lease agreement for an address at Welland.

A search of the Welland premises found 18 cannabis plants gowning in three tents inside the locked premises, 179g of cannabis plant material and prescribed equipment.

Police located 163 cannabis plants along with 41.532kg of dry cannabis plant material Picture: SA Police

“The set-up at the Thebarton and Welland premises was sophisticated and well planned,” Judge Fuller said.

“The value of the cannabis the subject of the trafficking charge, if sold in ounces, was between $355,988 and $415,320. If sold in pound amounts, it would have fetched between $219,552 and $292,736.”

The court heard his wife and family was supporting him and had witnessed first-hand his struggles with anxiety, depression and addiction.

“Despite everything your family had done for you, you kept gambling and accruing gambling and business debts,” Judge Fuller said.

“Not only did your parents make all of the usual sacrifices that parents make when raising children, they have in more recent times used their entire life savings to satisfy debts you accrued as a result of a gambling addiction. This forced them to sell their home and move into a granny flat on a property owned by your sister.

“Your parents remain fiercely supportive of you and it is a matter of great personal regret and the source of enormous guilt for you that your actions have impacted their lives in such a substantial way.”

He was sentenced to three years, nine months and 18 days in jail with a non-parole period of one year, 10 months and 16 days.

Vozzo will be eligible for parole in 2026.