Jack Jones, Tate Robinson plead guilty to cocaine ring involvement
Police used hi-tech surveillance and mobile phone tapping to crack a cocaine racket headed up by a 22-year-old, who used a pro surfer and a social media influencer to distribute product.
Police & Courts
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A GOLD Coast man and a pro surfer have pleaded guilty to drug dealing charges on the North Coast in a case that embroiled a social media influencer and an NRL player.
Jack Stuart Jones, 22, from Benowa in Queensland, has pleaded guilty to knowingly direct activities of criminal group while pro surfer Tate Robinson, 23, from Casuarina, pleaded guilty to taking part in the same criminal group.
Both men also pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a prohibited drug on an ongoing basis when they faced Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday.
Defence lawyer Campbell MacCallum lodged guilty pleas to three charges on behalf of Robinson.
Jones – who could face up to 15 years behind bars for heading up the drug ring – faced the court via video link from prison while Robinson was in court in person.
The offences of ongoing drug supply carry a maximum penalty of 20 years’ prison.
The charges the men have pleaded guilty to relate to 15 drug deals between October 1 and November 18 last year, but the police investigation began much earlier.
According to court documents, Jones’ sister – who has not been charged with any related offence – and other associates were in a car police pulled over on April 10, 2020.
Police found four bags containing what was believed to be cocaine.
Cash was found in the car and after gathering various intelligence, police formed a strike force.
Several warrants were issued for surveillance of mobile phones and police conducted physical and electronic surveillance of the group.
About 34,000 phone activations were intercepted throughout the investigation.
Those intercepts revealed to police that Jones had established a criminal group involving Robinson, Robinson’s girlfriend Mikayla Noakes and others.
This included Jed Thomas Conroy, 22, who pleaded guilty to four counts of supplying dangerous drugs, recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
Conroy was sentenced to a 30-month intensive corrections order and 200 hours of community service in May.
Noakes, 20, a bartender and social media influencer, was sentenced in March to charges of participating in a criminal group, two counts of drug supply and drug possession.
According to court documents, various people handled a mobile phone used to undertake drug deals but Jones “maintained control over the device”, paid “runners” to distribute cocaine and delegated various roles to others in the group.
Jones went to “considerable lengths” to avoid being detected by police, including having his father fake pay slips for him.
This was an attempt to legitimise part of his drug income so he could rent a home, according to court documents.
In a September 2020 phone call with an unknown woman, Jones discussed the quality of his cocaine and indicated he was in charge of the operation.
“People work for me now,” Jones told the woman.
Court documents also detail several alleged interactions with former Gold Coast Titans player Michael Gordon, who is facing two cocaine possession charges.
Mr Gordon is set to defend those allegations in a hearing next month.
Things ultimately came unstuck for the group last November.
On the night of November 14, Noakes was pulled over after overtaking police at speed on the Pacific Highway at Chinderah.
Police found a small amount of cocaine and $1200 cash in her car.
Police raided the home Robinson and Noakes shared in Casuarina on November 21 and two days later, Jones was extradited from Queensland.
In court, prosecutor Naomi Carter filed amended charge certificates for Robinson and Jones along with agreed facts which were signed by Robinson and Jones.
Her submissions included a 24-page document setting out their involvement in the crimes.
“The agreed facts reflect a plea of guilty in relation to three counts,” Ms Carter said.
With their guilty pleas to three charges each, Ms Carter said the prosecution would withdraw the remaining large number of charges against the men.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy ordered sentencing assessment reports to be prepared for both men.
They are due to go before Lismore District Court on November 15.
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