Erina: Marble Bar syndicate member Joshua Pountney admits supplying kilos of cannabis

One of a dozen men charged as part of an investigation into the alleged drug supply and money laundering through a Central Coast restaurant has pleaded guilty to supplying kilos of cannabis.

First it was the “bag man”, second it was the engineer with a ballooning cocaine habit and now a third man charged in connection to an alleged drug syndicate operating from a Central Coast eatery has pleaded guilty.

Joshua Jason Pountney, 28, of North Avoca, faced Gosford Local Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to five offences of supplying cocaine and nearly 7kg in total of cannabis.

Upon entering his guilty pleas a further 13 charges were withdrawn and dismissed.

An agreed set of facts states Pountney — who went by the nicknames “Pouts” and “Big P” — was captured on telephone intercepts and other recorded conversations organising the supply of prohibited drugs.

The facts state police established Strike Force Tatiara in February 2023 to investigate the alleged supply of prohibited drugs on the Central Coast.

The Marble Bar & Grill at Erina, which has since changed ownership and name. Picture: NewsLocal

The strike force identified an alleged drug syndicate which was based out of the Marble Bar and Grill at Erina.

Police raided the restaurant as well as several properties at Terrigal, Wyee, Buff Point and North Avoca where officers, with assistance from the Northern Region Raptor Squad, arrested Pountney on February 13, 2024.

The restaurant closed as a result of the raid and never reopened until the lease was taken over by new owners who have since opened a different restaurant and are not accused of any wrongdoing.

A dozen men were arrested and charged over the alleged syndicate operating out of the bar. Picture: NSW Police

The facts state members of the syndicate used an encrypted messaging app to source and supply drugs to its customers.

Pountney, went by the handle “Fred Jones” on the app, organised several drug supplies including one in the Westfield Tuggerah car park near Dan Murphy’s and another in the Hungry Jacks car park nearby.

On one occasion he supplied 2.211kg of cannabis and on another supplied 4.7213kg of cannabis.

And when one customer could not get in contact with one of Pountney’s co-accuseds, he told the man” “He’s out of the game. Come through me”.

Pountney was adjourned to face Gosford District Court on May 29 to fix a sentence date.

It comes after engineer Michael Nicholls, 41, of Wyee, was sentenced last September to an intensive correction order for 20 months after pleading guilty to the ongoing supply of cocaine.

Michael Nicholls, 41, outside Wyong Local Court where he was sentenced to 20 months jail to be served by way of an intensive correction order after pleading guilty to the ongoing supply of drugs. Picture: NewsLocal

That court heard Nicholls became involved in the syndicate and was cutting down the drug with creatine and selling to “mates” to offset the cost of his ballooning cocaine addiction.

In July last year Blake Austin Kelley, 32, of Green Point, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying drugs after he said he was just the “bag man” who dropped off cocaine and picked up wads of cash for his “handler”.

A dozen men were charged in relation to the alleged syndicate with most remaining before the courts including the Marble Bar co-owners Frederico Salomone, 30, of Terrigal, and Daniel Alan Stephenson, 35, of Terrigal.

Both Mr Salomone and Mr Stephenson were charged with dozens of alleged drug supply offences. Neither men have entered any pleas.