Father Jason Conomos avoids jail after allegedly letting son hide, sell drugs from family home
A Canberra father hopes to lead a “normal” life after avoiding jail for letting his son hide and deal drugs from their family home
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A Canberra father hopes to lead a “normal” life after avoiding jail for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking following a major police operation which also resulted in the arrest of his son.
At ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, Jason Wayne Conomos was sentenced to one year and nine months to be served as an intensive correction order in the community after he was charged with being knowingly concerned with trafficking methylamphetamine and cannabis.
The 38-year-old was one of five men arrested during Operation Tribulation in which Australian Federal Police officers seized $1.5 million in drugs and assets including cars, motorcycles and jewellery while carrying out 15 search warrants across the capital in April last year.
The operation centred on Kingston cafe owner Brendan Baker who was recently found guilty of high level drug trafficking, dealing with the proceeds of crime and attempting to import a synthetic drug from China.
The Crown prosecutor had argued Baker’s flashy lifestyle, which included his ownership of a Mercedes, BMW, land and businesses, including Remedy cafe in Kingston, was irreconcilable with his reported income.
Mr Baker’s trial in the Supreme Court hinged on evidence given by drug dealer turned informant Paul McCauley who claimed Mr Baker purchased a designer drug on the dark net with Bitcoin and had supplied him drugs to distribute through sub-dealers.
During Mr Baker’s trial, Mr Conomos’ son Corey Conomos, 19, admitted to being one of those sub dealers and told the court drugs were delivered to his Calwell home where he lived with his father, Jason Wayne Conomos.
The court heard police seized more than 2kg of marijuana, methylamphetamine, 20 grams of cocaine and MDMA — which he had either sourced from Mr McCauley or another supplier Brad Klenkie — during a raid of their Zincke Close home on January 4, 2017.
Mr Conomos Snr pleaded guilty after he was charged with being knowingly concerned with trafficking methylamphetamine and cannabis when he allowed the teenager to use their home to hide and deal drugs.
In sentencing Mr Conomos Snr, Chief Justice Helen Murrell favoured an intensive corrections order as it would allow him to seek employment to pay off debts.
She sentenced him to a total period of 21 months for the charges relating to the trafficking in cannabis and methylamphetamine.
Bail conditions mean the father and son are not allowed any contact.
His lawyer Paul Edmonds said his client was “relieved” with the result.
“He’s very happy, it was quite a fair sentence in his view and he’s just hoping to get back to leading a normal life now,” Mr Edmonds said.
“In Mr Conomos’ view the sentence is a fair one and by no means could it be considered to be a soft option.”
He said his client would be staying away from drug crime.
“Most certainly, this is his first and only offence and that’s the way he intends to keep it.”
Corey Conomos has pleaded guilty to multiple drug trafficking offences and will face court at a later date.
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