Drug offenders from Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday who faced court in 2023
More than a dozen faces and names behind some of the region’s big busts and dark deals can be revealed. Here are 20 drug offenders who faced court in 2023.
Police & Courts
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More than a dozen faces and names behind some of the region’s big busts and dark deals can be revealed. Here are 20 drug offenders who faced court in 2023.
TRAFFICKING
Chloe Victoria Smith
She traded luxury cars and designer tastes for matching faded prison greens after this glamorous beauty salon owner began helping out her boyfriend’s successful meth trafficking business.
Beautiful, blonde, newly 30 and a sought-after lash technician, Chloe Victoria Smith will spend eight months of her next decade in jail and away from her three children.
It is the reality of her choices that came back to bite her when she was arrested in March 2020 as part of operation Romeo Suitcase, which had been targeting her then boyfriend and father of her youngest child Reece Luscombe.
The past four years have been a flurry of bad boys and brand names and included meeting an inmate over the phone she later told her 16.6k TikTok fans was her “soulmate”.
Smith had played an active role in Luscombe’s meth trafficking; police phone taps and message intercepts captured her as an “enthusiastic assister” in the venture between 2019 and 2020 as she enjoyed the fruits of the profits made, which they expected to total up to $60,000.
She pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including drug trafficking and supply and aggravated drug possession and was jailed for three years to serve eight months.
FULL STORY HERE
Jay William Politanski
A meth trafficker, who sold drugs to support his own crippling addiction, has avoided time behind bars for his impressive rehabilitation efforts.
In 2021 Jay William Politanski was the main mark of police operation Tango Gismo that used phone taps and surveillance to target drug trafficking in the Central Highlands.
He was a street level dealer with up to 15 customers to whom he sold meth in varying amounts from 0.1g deals to eight balls (3.5g).
Mackay Supreme Court heard he was generally sought out by drug users, he never advertised his business and he never used violence to recover any debts.
When police raided his home they found 21.604g of pure meth. His workspace was also searched and 814g of marijuana was found as well as $2460 in cash.
The 36 year old father pleaded guilty to nine charges including trafficking meth over three months in 2021, aggravated drug possession of meth and marijuana and supplying dangerous drugs.
The court heard he made huge efforts towards his rehabilitation since his arrest and there were also numerous negative drug screens proving he was no longer using meth.
Politanski was jailed for 4.5 years immediately suspended, to hang over his head for 4.5 years.
FULL STORY HERE
Jodi Kym Edwards
A wannabe Moranbah meth queen bragged about her drug trafficking business to an undercover cop, telling him she had stacks of cash stashed at her home.
Jodi Kym Edwards, 36, was the primary suspect in multi-branch police operation Tango Gismo, targeting drug trafficking across Central Queensland and resulting in the arrest of 20 people on 117 charges.
She mainly sold meth and marijuana but could “easily source other drugs such as MDMA and on occasion (LSD)”, Mackay Supreme Court heard.
Edwards supplied drugs on at least 58 occasions during the trafficking period and had at least 29 customers, selling in amounts from 0.1g up to 0.5g, as well as half balls of meth (1.75g).
She regularly sold on tick, had to chase up drug debts and made threats to those who owed her money including that she would “f---ing slaughter them”, “that you would punch their head in” and they would “die a slow painful death”.
Between August 21 to 24, 2021 Edwards supplied an undercover officer with 1g of meth for $750, told him she could supply him drugs and boasted she had $20,000 cash from drug sales stashed, which was a lie.
New Zealand national Edwards pleaded guilty to charges including meth trafficking, aggravated drug possession and possessing cash from drug sales between July 14 and November 13, 2021 at Moranbah.
Justice Graeme Crow said he had been tendered nine clear drug screens and accepted “that you are drug free and have been for a considerable period of time”.
She was jailed for three years’ jail but allowed immediate parole and convictions were recorded.
FULL STORY HERE
Colin David Addis
A convicted Mackay drug trafficker was back selling meth as well as trying to offload an assault rifle barely a year after his release on parole. His lawyer says he got hooked on drugs after the death of his brother.
In 2019, Colin David Addis was jailed for four years for drug trafficking and was released on parole on June 30, 2020.
By January 2022 the Balnagowan man had been picked up in sweeping police raids across Mackay and the Pioneer Valley as part of major operation Tango Radar targeting rural drug crime.
Mackay Supreme Court heard Addis, 64, was trafficking meth from July 2021, just 12 months after his release from prison, until his arrest last year.
Police could not determine the extent of his customer base or the quantity he had been trafficking, but the court heard he sourced meth in quantities as large as 28 grams every three weeks from one supplier.
Police raided his home on January 12, 2022 and he had been in custody since – he had served 420 days on remand.
Addis pleaded guilty to meth trafficking, supplying meth and some weapon and drug-related charges. He was jailed for 2.5 years with parole eligibility on April 30, 2023.
FULL STORY HERE
Anthony Eric Deguara
A judge said a busy cannabis dealer was “in thrall” of a friend jailed in Capricornia Correctional Centre and was conspiring with another dealer on a plot to free him.
Texts on Anthony Eric Deguara’s phone to another man revealed a scheme to con someone into signing a false statutory declaration confessing to crimes the other man was charged with, Mackay Supreme Court heard.
Justice David North heard the 46-year-old’s residence was searched and his phone seized by police on June 6,2021.
The court heard evidence on Deguara’s phone showed he had been trafficking cannabis and meth for three months prior to the search warrant.
Deguara pleaded guilty to trafficking, three counts of possessing dangerous drugs, attempting to pervert the course of justice, possessing a tainted debit card, obstruct police, and four other drug-related summary charges.
Defence barrister Scott McLennan said his client had demonstrated his remorse by living nearly three months in a residential rehabilitation program in Brisbane, even having been resident of the month for September 2023.
Justice North accepted Deguara had taken “quite some steps” towards rehabilitation. Deguara was jailed for a total of three years, immediately suspended and 180 days in pre sentenced custody declared time already served.
FULL STORY HERE
Tristan Michael Bernay
A Cannonvale man who grew up with a meth-addled mother became a user himself, selling drugs to others to feed his own addiction.
Mackay Supreme Court heard Tristan Michael Bernay had 17 customers during his two months as a “low level street dealer” from February 18 to April 12, 2021.
Bernay had moved to the Airlie Beach region in 2019 for a “fresh start” but things “spiral(led)” under methamphetamine’s grip.
Defence barrister Scott McLennan said evidence showed Bernay had tried to “essentially extricate himself from the drug scene” in the weeks before police executed a search warrant on his home on May 16.
When police searched Bernay’s home, they found a mobile phone which revealed he had either supplied or prepared to supply methamphetamines “on at least 43 occasions” with quantities ranging from 0.1g to 3.5g.
Bernay, who pleaded guilty to trafficking and possessing an item used in connection with the trafficking of a dangerous drug, was jailed for 3.5 years suspended after serving six months for an operational period of four years.
FULL STORY HERE
Corey Joseph Derrick
A scaffolder found with bags of meth and records showing 21 “deals” had slipped back into old habits after battling a deadly disease.
Justice David North labelled Corey Joseph Derrick as “essentially a street level trafficker”.
Defence barrister Scott McLennan told Mackay Supreme Court Derrick had a good work history as a scaffolder and had been making efforts to control his meth use when he was diagnosed with a “malignant” melanoma in late 2019.
“He was given quite a poor prognosis and has unfortunately relapsed into heavy methylamphetamine use since,” Mr McLennan said.
A police search on October 5, 2022 had revealed three clip seal bags containing 4g meth and his phone contained evidence of 21 drug deals in small amounts.
Derrick pleaded guilty to charges including trafficking and supplying meth. He was jailed for three years with immediate parole, which Justice North ordered “in light of the serious illness that you suffer from” and as he had already served “a significant amount of time in custody”.
FULL STORY HERE
SUPPLY
Jodeci-Leigh Flynn
A young woman bullied into attempting to supply her boyfriend with drugs in prison has been dealt hard blows, suffering a cancer diagnosis and redundancy.
Jodeci-Leigh Flynn, 26, fronted Rockhampton District Court supported by her father, brother and sister, along with two long-term friends, as she was sentenced for her “foolish decision” to commit her first ever criminal offence.
Crown prosecutor Ken Spinaze said prison officers became aware of conversations between Flynn and her then boyfriend who was jailed in Capricornia Correctional Centre and approached her as she arrived at the prison on September 9, 2022.
Flynn was found to be concealing 153 strips of suboxone in her bra.
Flynn pleaded guilty to one count each of supplying drugs in a prison, possessing restricted drugs, possessing property suspected to have been used in a crime and possessing an S4 medicine.
The former Mackay woman was jailed for 15 months, suspended after five days prison with her five days presentence custody declared as time served and a two-year operational period set. She was also fined $500 and convictions were recorded.
FULL STORY HERE
Rachel Palmer
A meth-dealing mum of four has avoided spending any time behind bars after she supplied the highly addictive drug in multiple street-level deals.
Mackay woman Rachel Palmer “acted as an intermediary” when she provided methamphetamines five times over about two and a half weeks in October 2022.
Mackay District Court heard her offending came to light when police executed a search warrant and uncovered information on her phone.
The amounts included two points of meth on three occasions, three points and an unknown amount for between $140 and $210.
The court heard Palmer only received $40 payment for her role in two of the sales.
When she was arrested she was also busted possessing 0.176g of pure meth over eight separate bags and had spent no time in custody on remand.
Palmer pleaded guilty to seven charges including five counts of supplying dangerous drugs, and one count each of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing anything used in the commission of a crime.
Palmer was jailed for 12 months with immediate parole. Convictions were recorded.
FULL STORY HERE
Damian James Tonga
A street level meth dealer pushed drugs to others to fund his own addiction claiming “life stressors” pushed his descent into ice abuse.
Damian James Tonga was “extremely ashamed” his father’s home was raided as part of a major drug bust involving 52 arrests, Mackay District Court heard.
His phone was found with messages setting up multiple deals after Operation Tango Muscatel exposed $625,000 worth of drugs in a raid of 16 Mackay properties.
Mackay police seized multiple weapons including handguns, rifles and shotguns, $425,000 worth of meth, cocaine, MDMA, steroids and marijuana and $200,000 in cash in August 2022.
Tonga pleaded guilty to 14 counts of drug supply and using his mobile phone in the commission of a drug offence.
He was jailed for 18 months jail with immediate suspension for an operational period of three years.
FULL STORY HERE
Wayne Keith George Haupt
A meth-addicted dad was asleep when his home was raided by police, revealing he had supplied others with the dangerous drug.
Wayne Keith George Haupt was found to have supplied four people with “street-level amounts” of meth in Mackay District Court, the largest amount being $300 for 0.5g.
Crown prosecutor Allegra Thomas said police found Haupt asleep in the main bedroom before he was arrested on October 26, 2022.
The court heard Haupt had spent 286 days in pre-sentence custody, and that the offences had been committed while he was on parole.
Haupt pleaded guilty to four counts of supplying dangerous drugs and possessing a dangerous drug.
Haupt said he could, and was sentenced to 15 months parole with immediate release after 286 days pre-sentence custody declared time served.
FULL STORY HERE
POSSESSION
Jack Michael Thomson and Kristen Lee Pulfer
A former steroid abuser and his glamorous girlfriend have been jailed after police found a “substantial” amount of drugs in the North Mackay home they shared.
Kristen Lee Pulfer walked free on a wholly suspended jail term while her partner of at least three years Jack Michael Thomson will spend at least 12 months behind bars.
The couple were arrested in 2020 as part of police operation Romeo Suitcase targeting drug offending in the Mackay region.
On March 30 police raided Thomson’s home finding 119.45g pure MDMA in 166.12g of substance, 389g of marijuana, 205g of steroids, as well as cocaine and morphine, a cryovac vacuum sealing machine and empty bags, scales, a mobile phone, two .38 calibre revolvers, a silencer and a 23 calibre rifle.
Mackay Supreme Court heard Thomson had been intending to sell some or all of the MDMA and marijuana, but the remaining drugs and steroids were for his own personal use.
Thomson, 29, pleaded guilty to 13 charges including aggravated MDMA possession, as well as possessing steroids, marijuana, morphine. Pulfer, 25, pleaded guilty to aggravated MDMA possession and possessing morphine and marijuana.
Both Thomson and Pulfer supplied negative drug test results to the court at the time of their sentencing.
Thomson was jailed for five years and three months and Pulfer was jailed for 2.5 years, wholly suspended for three years.
FULL STORY HERE
Lauchlan Joseph McGregor
New details of a strange arrest were revealed after a young man found with nearly $100,000 worth of meth and cocaine faced Mackay Supreme Court.
Lauchlan Joseph McGregor pleaded guilty to possessing more than 200g of methylamphetamine and more than 2g of cocaine, as well as a handgun, knife, digital scale and $24,490 in cash.
Justice David North said police were called to Peri Road in Te Kowai the night of October 16, 2022 to find McGregor, then 24, intoxicated outside of a vehicle and asking for help to call his angry girlfriend.
“Police observed a package that ultimately contained methylamphetamine about eight to 10m away from the car,” Justice North said.
The court heard the package contained 208g of meth in 324g of substance and 15g of cocaine found within 28g of substance, both in clip seal packages indicating a “commercial purpose”.
McGregor was arrested and spent a total of 401 days in presentence custody before facing the supreme court.
He was jailed for 6.5 years with parole eligibility on October 15, 2024. The presentence custody was declared time already served.
FULL STORY HERE
Emma Claire Jowsey
A meth mum was caught after she and an unknown man fled from a stolen car, in which police found a baggie containing 2.02 grams of the drug.
Emma Claire Jowsey, 39, tried to escape police on February 1 after officers on Holland St in West Mackay checked the car’s Victorian plates and found it reported stolen.
Mackay Supreme Court heard Jowsey’s son was 14-years-old, and that her offending had occurred just four months after her release from jail in September 2022.
The court heard a search of the car revealed a baggie of meth in the passenger side door and packages addressed to different people in the back seat.
The court heard Jowsey was also found with an electric scale in her handbag, and told police she owned the car.
She pleaded guilty to one count of possessing dangerous drugs schedule 1 drug quantity of or exceeding schedule 3 but less than schedule 4.
Jowsey was jailed for 18 months with immediate release, and 232 days in pre sentence custody declared as time served.
FULL STORY HERE
Maxwell Timothy Hellwege
A former drug dealer who was busted with a huge meth stash with a street value of $30,000 walked free from the courthouse because of his rehabilitation efforts.
Mackay father Maxwell Timothy Hellwege had only spent nine days in custody on remand for aggravated drug offending that commands a 20-year maximum penalty.
But his barrister Scott McLennan highlighted the 30 year old’s proactive efforts towards quitting drug use in his push for immediate release.
Hellwege’s offending occurred in 2021 – on three separate days, April 14, September 17, and October 19 when police found him with a large amount of drugs and cash and other drug items.
Mackay Supreme Court heard the cash totalled $24,985, while an analysis of the methylamphetamines revealed 83.246g of pure meth in 115.924g of substance.
The total street value was about $30,000, and it was accepted he had the drugs for a mixed use – personal and commercial.
Justice David North accepted Hellwege was a “drug dependent person” as well as a drug dealer at the time of his offending.
Hellwege pleaded guilty to drug possession and was jailed for five years, suspended immediately and he must complete two years probation.
FULL STORY HERE
Nishanthi Maree Csont
A Mackay mum of three was told her honest admissions to police were her saving grace after she stashed drugs inside of a washing machine.
Nishanthi Maree Csont was found with 2.499g of methamphetamine in a bag during a police stop on March 11, 2021.
The next day she admitted the bag was hers.
Mackay Supreme Court heard the 34 year old was placed on a good behaviour order only to then breach it weeks later on May 4.
A search warrant of Csont’s then partner’s home in Rural View revealed another bag hidden inside his washer.
It contained empty clip seal bags, 1.79g of meth, and 5.957g of GBL – a precursor to GHB.
Csont admitted the bag was hers and then spent three days in police custody.
Csont pleaded guilty to possessing a banned substance, supplying dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing dangerous drugs exceeding two grams, and was jailed for 15 months with immediate parole.
FULL STORY HERE
Hayden James Waterton
A man’s rendezvous went tragically wrong after a police raid found more than 10g grams of meth in a Bruce Highway motel.
Hayden James Waterton rented out a Nebo Road motel room on February 13, 2023, where he was found the next day with an “associate” and 14g of pure meth in clip seal bags.
He pleaded guilty in Mackay Supreme Court on November 23 to possessing meth, two counts of possessing tainted property, possessing ammunition, possessing a police badge and four other drug-related summary offences.
“The packaging of the drugs, the quantity of Australian currency found, and the presence of other items such as digital scales, leads me to the conclusion that there was a commercial aspect,” Justice David North said.
“In other words, you were planning to sell to other users, reserving some of the drugs for your own use.”
Waterton was jailed for three years with parole eligibility on April 13, 2024.
FULL STORY HERE
Jake King
A Rural View dad of two found with more than 4g of pure cocaine came undone when he parked his car outside the home of a person known to be associated with drugs.
Mackay Supreme Court on Tuesday heard police ran Jake King’s registration plates when they found him parked outside a particular Rural View home on July 15, 2021.
Officers searched King’s car, finding $1600 cash, two clip seal bags containing white powder inside of a sunglasses container, and further clip seal bags in the back of the vehicle.
Forensic analysis revealed King possessed “4.36g of pure cocaine out of a total of 22.434g of substance” – an amount indicating it was for both personal and commercial use.
King pleaded guilty to possessing a dangerous drug in excess of 2g and was jailed for two years with immediate parole.
FULL STORY HERE
CONVICTIONS NOT RECORDED
Hollie-Maree Eggleston-Burton
A Moranbah woman has avoided a jail term for stashing a large amount of meth for an alleged Central Queensland kingpin as “a favour” that would wipe her drug debt.
Hollie-Maree Eggleston-Burton was picked up on phone taps when detectives were targeting an alleged dealer as part of Tango Gismo, a joint agency operation tracking methylamphetamine and marijuana trafficking and supply throughout the Central Highlands in 2021.
Mackay Supreme Court was told the 39-year-old bought drugs off the man and when he asked her the next day to drive him somewhere to clear the debt, she agreed.
Police searched her home in November 2021 as part of sweeping raids across Central Queensland, where officers found 21.604g of pure meth in 30.25g substance in a cryovac bag in the backpack. They also found 67g of marijuana, a smaller amount of meth in the home, and drug utensils.
Eggleston-Burton pleaded guilty to a number of charges including aggravated drug possession.
Justice David North found she was not drug-dependent and given the particular circumstances, it was warranted he take a lenient view to assist in her rehabilitation.
Eggleston-Burton was placed on 12 months’ probation and no convictions were recorded.
FULL STORY HERE
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