Timothy Clayton Mansfield: alleged drug dealer ‘didn’t know’ about ice money

A Wollongong man accused of laundering nearly $40,000 in drug money told police he “didn‘t know” what the money was for. Read what happened in court.

An ongoing investigation into the supply of methamphetamine in the Illawarra has seen a Wollongong man arrested and dragged before court.

Timothy Clayton Mansfield, 32, appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday hours after being arrested and charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The disability support pensioner is alleged to be a drug dealer who used his phone to wheel and deal ice to the tune of $38,900.

Investigators attached to Strike Force Howley had arrested Mathew Lawrence Maurice Roy Golding earlier this year alleging that he supplied more than half a million dollars worth of ice to street-level dealers.

Police allegedly trawled through thousands of texts messages and phone calls linking Mansfield to dealing meth which documents tendered in court indicated he dished out in quantities anywhere from 0.1 to 14 grams with the latter carrying a street value of nearly $3000.

Timothy Clayton Mansfield was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into ice dealings in the Illawarra.

Court documents stated police obtained bank statements with multiple transactions from Golding to Mansfield where thousands of dollars would be deposited along with a reference such as “car” or ”thanks”.

Mansfield would then allegedly withdraw the money from an ATM.

Police allege that Mansfield used multiple bank accounts in an attempt to avoid detection in a process known as “smurfing” where received funds were split into amounts below the alert threshold.

Police raided Mansfield‘s Smith St, Wollongong, address on Tuesday morning and placed him under arrest and seized the phone.

Timothy Clayton Mansfield will return to court in September.

He allegedly told police he knew about the transactions, but he “didn‘t know what [the money] was for”.

In court on Tuesday, defence lawyer Rosie Lambert acknowledged it was a “very serious matter” and labelled the offences as ”frankly stupid”.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rachel Biffin argued that “Even while on bail, he was still committing offences”.

Magistrate Greg Elks said the allegations didn‘t put Mansfield “at the peak of any criminal group”, but felt the risk of further offending was too high and denied him bail

Mansfield will reappear in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, September 7.

Golding is still before the courts.