Bradley Graham Potts: Qld FIFO worker’s descent into drug trafficking, organised crime

A “law abiding” family man who became a drug trafficker involved in an organised crime syndicate that smuggled millions of dollars worth of cannabis into Queensland has been jailed.

Bradley Graham Potts was sentenced to 10 years for trafficking drugs.

A “law abiding” family man who became a drug trafficker involved in an organised crime syndicate that smuggled millions of dollars worth of cannabis into Queensland has been jailed for a decade.

Bradley Graham Potts’ sentence of 10 years for trafficking wholesale amounts of cannabis and methamphetamine automatically triggered the serious violent offence scheme meaning he must serve 80 per cent before being eligible for parole.

Brisbane’s Supreme Court on Friday heard Potts, 40, had been a FIFO worker in the mining industry who provided for his family before his “life went completely off the rails”.

Bradley Graham Potts was sentenced to 10 years for trafficking drugs.

With the onset of Covid Potts, who found himself with little work but plenty of time on his hands, attended a party where he was introduced to ice.

He descended into addiction and quickly began supplying others to fund his habit while making associations with people in the drug world, the court heard.

Potts operated a successful street level trafficking business supplying cocaine and meth in gram amounts and steroids in vials, the court heard.

A tick sheet on his phone revealed he’d been paid $261,750 from 20 customers as of February 2021 and turned over $72,350 to drug supplier although the use of encrypted devices hid the full picture of his offending. He was charged with a number of offences and released on police bail.

Police subsequently launched an investigation into the trafficking of drugs in the Brisbane area targeting several people including Potts.

It revealed that in August to November 2021 Potts was continuing to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine and had become involved with an organised syndicate that was trucking wholesale amounts of cannabis into Queensland from South Australia.

Potts continued to sell at street level sizes but in addition progressed to selling larger wholesale amounts.

He charged $3700 for an ounce of meth, $8000 for an ounce of cocaine and up to $4000 for a pound of cannabis, the court heard.

Police identified five runs of cannabis from South Australia to Queensland which they estimated brought in about 400kg of weed with an estimated street value of $2.4m.

At the time Potts carried a firearm for protection and was found with a 9mm handgun when arrested, the court heard.

Potts pleaded guilty to two counts each of drug trafficking and supplying weapons, three counts each of possessing drugs in excess of two grams and possessing drugs and one count of receiving tainted property.

The court heard he was involved in discussion about supplying a firearm but no weapons were ever exchanged.

,Bradley Graham Potts was sentenced to 10 years for trafficking drugs.

Barrister Greg McGuire, instructed by Guest Lawyers, said his client was a much loved father who had previously led a law abiding life.

“This man’s life effectively went completely off the rails,” he said.

The court heard he had an irrelevant criminal history and had become a “model prisoner” while on remand.

A psychologist’s report indicated he had good prospects of rehabilitation and enjoyed strong support from his family who attended court. The offending was said to be out of character.

In a letter to the court Potts said he prided himself on being an honest hard worker and a role model to his children, to which he had let himself down.

Cannabis was trafficked in to Queensland hidden in trucks from South Australia.

Justice Lincoln Crowley said the drugs Potts was involved in trafficking caused a “great deal of misery and harm in our community.

“The most serious aspect really is your involvement in significant criminality in respect to the syndicate that was involved in the interstate cannabis trafficking,” he said.

“That’s organised criminal activity at a high level.”

He accepted that Potts had taken steps towards rehabilitation.

Potts’ 848 days of pre-sentence custody was declare as time already served.