Rhys Wood: Former Office of Fair Trading officer guilty of meth bust

A former high-ranking worker at a State Government office has been sentenced for a big ice haul uncovered during a traffic stop.

A former high-ranking officer at the Queensland Office of Fair Trading and graduate of one of the state’s most prestigious private schools has been sentenced after a late-night traffic stop uncovered a big haul of methamphetamine.

Murrumba Downs man Rhys Michael Wood, 26, a graduate of Townsville Grammar School, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday to possessing a commercial quantity of a Schedule 1 dangerous drug.

The court heard Wood and a co-defendant, Enoggera man Max Vincent Scholz, 27, were intercepted driving together in a vehicle at Taringa on April 21, 2019.

Under Scholz in the passenger seat, police uncovered two bags of methamphetamine with a pure weight of 10.2g within 13.8g of substance.

Crown prosecutor Michael Gawrych told the court “police focused their investigation on Scholz” initially, due to the location of the drugs under his seat and Wood’s account that he had “simply picked up” his passenger and was driving him and his denial of knowledge of the drugs.

However, Mr Gawrych said, Wood had “liability as occupier” due to his being the person in control of the vehicle.

Murrumba Downs man Rhys Michael Wood, 26. Picture: Alex Treacy

The court heard Wood, a former resident of Nudgee, had limited criminal history but in the time between the meth seizure on April 21, 2019 and today’s sentence, he had been sentenced for minor drug offences after he was busted with a bong, grinder and small amount of cannabis.

On that occasion, he was placed on a 12-month good-behaviour bond with no conviction recorded.

Defence counsel James McNab told the court his client resigned his position at the OFT, where he had been employed for more than three-and-a-half years, rising to the position of senior compliance officer.

He was demoted after he was charged with the current offence, and chose to walk before he was pushed, Mr McNab said.

Wood subsequently found employment on the Gold Coast in the financial services industry, commuting every day from Murrumba Downs where he lives with his parents.

Mr McNab said Wood lost his way after living for a period on his own at Fortitude Valley, where his residence was used as a place for his friends to take drugs.

“He has disassociated from that group and stepped away from his former life,” Mr McNab said.

Wood was placed on two years’ probation with no conviction recorded.

Scholz pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing a commercial quantity of a Schedule 1 dangerous drug and will be sentenced at a later date.