Sex shop owner David Andre Piccinato jailed over synthetic cannabis operation

A QUEENSLAND sex shop owner-turned drug lord who told his staff they would lose their jobs if they didn’t continue to sell synthetic cannabis – despite customers complaining they couldn’t walk or talk after smoking it – has been jailed over the operation that resulted in two deaths.

Queensland detectives escort adult shop owner David Piccinato back to Brisbane in 2016. Picture: Jack Tran

A SEX shop owner-turned drug lord who told his staff they would lose their jobs if they didn’t continue to sell synthetic cannabis, despite customers complaining they couldn’t walk or talk after smoking it, has been jailed over the operation that resulted in two deaths.

Love Heart adult shops owner David Andre Piccinato, 45, was today jailed for six years by the Brisbane District Court over the commercial drug operation that sold synthetic cannabis at the sex stores branded as “full moon tea”.

Operations manager for the five adult shops located throughout regional Queensland, Ross McGlone, 38, was also sentenced to jail for five years for packaging the drug, that had been bought in 1kg bags for $5000 each from an unknown supplier on the Gold Coast.

The court heard mastermind Piccinato remotely bought the drugs, which turned over more than $350,000 in profit, from Melbourne between October 2014 and January 2015.

McGlone and another staff member from the store packaged between 5000 and 8000 parcels of the drug per week from his Toowoomba home, where the loot was delivered.

The product was sold in the adult stores in Mackay, Toowoomba, Rockhampton and Bundaberg.

The court heard Piccinato spent about $150,000 on one shipment of the synthetic drug, which caused the packagers to develop a rash and headaches when handling.

Both McGlone and Piccinato pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking.

The court heard the Mackay sex store was the most profitable in turning over the drug and 32 people presented to the local emergency department with adverse reactions after buying it from the store.

Despite the adverse reactions, Piccinato and McGlone continued to sell the drug, telling staff they would be fired if they refused to peddle it.

Judge Brian Devereaux said despite complaints from customers the drug was too strong and had harmful effects the pair “watered down” the product with more tea because they had “committed to a wholesale purchase”.

“Customers complained about the effects,” he said.

“… (some) could not walk or talk for several hours, vomited extensively and went unconscious.”

Piccinato with police. Picture: Jack Tran

Two days before the pair stopped trafficking, two people died who had used the product, the court was told.

Even after being raided in 2015, the pair continued to try to “avoid detection” moving the drugs to a safe house in Rockhampton and selling it only from behind the counter in the stores, the court heard.

“Instructions were given to staff not to sell to people who asked for synthetic cannabis,” Judge Devereaux said.

“Staff expressed concerns with you and you told them they would lose their jobs if they didn’t sell it.”

The court also heard three other employees who were asked to assist with the drug operation had also been sentenced for trafficking.

The court Piccinato also contacted a synthetic cannabis lobby group in Canberra to attempt to get support for the sale of the drug, which had been illegal since 2013.

The pair was arrested in 2016.

Piccinato’s defence barrister Tony Kimmins told the court the 45-year-old had been addicted to drugs throughout his life and had contracted Hepatitis C as a result of intravenous needle use.

McGlone’s barrister, Angus Edwards, said he did not profit from the operation but was only paid a salary for running the stores.

In sentencing the pair for what was described by crown prosecutor David Nardone as “a fairly rare prosecution”, Judge Devereaux said they were not criminally responsible for the deaths but had “no doubt” about their danger.

McGlone’s sentence will be suspended for five years after 15 months’ jail have been served.

Piccinato will remain behind bars until September 2019 until he can apply for parole.