Anthony Abreu: Junior soccer coach jailed for MDMA haul

A junior soccer coach and a graduate of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious high school has been sentenced after he was busted with a huge amount of drugs.

A Brisbane man who attended one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious private schools and coached after-school kids’ soccer has been jailed for possessing a commercial quantity of MDMA.

Spring Hill man Anthony Samuel Abreu, 28, an alumnus of The Southport School with a Bachelor of Business from Bond University, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court to a raft of drug-related offences.

The seven counts included, most seriously, possessing a commercial quantity of MDMA, supplying a Schedule 1 dangerous drug, and two counts of possessing a dangerous drug.

All offences bar the count of supplying a dangerous drug were detected on December 31, 2019, with the supply of cocaine occurring four days prior.

Police witnessed the transaction and executed a search warrant.

Abreu was discovered in possession of 594g pure MDMA contained within a greater weight of total substance, as well as lesser quantities of other drugs, including steroids, Ritalin and CBD (i.e. cannabis) liquid, $1055 cash, and a variety of drug paraphernalia including digital scales, clipseal bags and a money counter.

Spring Hill man Anthony Samuel Abreu, 28. Picture: Facebook

It was accepted by the defence that the MDMA was for a commercial purpose.

Abreu was charged on January 14, 2020 after attending Fortitude Valley Police Station with his lawyer.

However, defence counsel Nicholas Brown told the court Abreu “lost contact” with his legal team.

Abreu was to be sentenced on June 11 this year but absconded.

He was surrendered to police and was remanded in pre-sentence custody on July 14.

“He knew he was going to jail for some time. Anxiety got the better of him,” Mr Brown told the court.

When questioned as to what Abreu was doing between his being charged and arrested a year-and-a-half later, Mr Brown said he was working as a soccer coach at Total Football Academy, a Gold Coast-based after-school program.

Mr Brown said Abreu was a renowned soccer prodigy during his high-schooling at TSS and had also worked in the finance industry.

“He doesn’t even recognise the man that he was,” Mr Brown said.

“He knows it’s custody or death if he doesn’t rehabilitate.”

Mr Brown said Abreu was selling MDMA to sustain his own “polysubstance” drug addiction.

He also suffered a “major depressive disorder”, the court heard.

Abreu was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment with parole-eligibility after he has served two years.