Amani Tofaeono: Eagle Vale man moonlighting as cocaine dial-a-dealer sentenced

A Sydney magistrate has described illicit drugs as a “stain” on the community as he sentenced a religious man moonlighting as a small-time cocaine dial-a-dealer.

A church-going supermarket worker caught red-handed dealing cocaine has “turned his life around” after having lost his job during the depths of the Covid pandemic.

Amani Joshua Taurima Tofaeono, 28, was charged with drug supply, drug possession and dealing with the property proceeds of crime after police busted him making a cocaine deal in Darlinghurst in 2020.

The Eagle Vale man turned to supplying drugs after he became unemployed in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, but is now working six days a week supplying frozen goods to supermarkets, providing income for his child and heavily pregnant wife, and sending money to his family in Samoa.

At Downing Centre Local Court on May 11, Tofaeono pleaded guilty to all three offences and his lawyer told the court the young man had spurred himself toward redemption, having been made aware “of the harms of drugs on the community”.

Amani Tofaeono and his nephew Darren Vili faced charges over a dial-a-dealer cocaine deal in Darlinghurst

“He is regretful of his decisions and his actions,” his lawyer told Magistrate Scott Nash of his offending, which can attract a potential maximum 15-year prison term.

According to facts tendered to Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on March 1, Tofaeono and his 18-year-old cousin Darren Vili were pulled over in Darlinghurst about 7pm on December 4, 2020.

Police state they saw Vili and Tofaeono giving a man known to officers two clear resealable bags of cocaine in exchange for $500 in a car parked on Liverpool St.

On searching the man as he left the Jeep, police found 1.17g of cocaine and arrested him.

The documents state when police approached Vili and Tofaeono, they found $2850 inside a jacket pocket in the car.

Vili said the jacket belonged to him and he had put $500 there following the cocaine deal but was not aware of the total money in the jacket.

When police asked if more drugs were around, Tofaeono showed them a black magnetic compartment between the centre console and cup holders with one clear resealable bag containing 0.54g of cocaine.

The pair were arrested and taken to a police station.

The facts state Tofaeono admitted he owned the cash in the jacket and it was drug money, while the bag of cocaine found in the car was for his personal use.

Joshua Tofaeono outside court. Picture: Gaye Gerard

However, the court heard Tofaeono had not touched illegal drugs or alcohol since his arrest.

His lawyer described him as a religious man who was active in his local church group and had not committed any further offences since the original offence.

The court heard his pregnant wife - who is due to give birth any day - had not been aware of her husband’s drug use at the time of the offence but had since been a positive influence in supporting his rehabilitation as he committed to caring for his young family.

Mr Nash convicted Tofaeono of the drug supply and crime proceeds and sentenced him to a 12-month conditional release order, with a 12-month conditional release order without conviction for the drug possession.

Joshua Taurima Tofaeono (in white) was convicted of drug supply. Picture: Gaye Gerard

The magistrate said while he was convinced Tofaeono had a low risk of reoffending, the sentencing needed to show that even one slip into criminal behaviour had a detrimental impact on the community.

Mr Nash said the sentence of a conditional release order of 12 months reflected that the supply of drugs was “a stain on our community.”

“The court has to send a very strong message that there are consequences for your actions,” he said.

Vili was sentenced in March to an 18-month conditional release order with no conviction for supplying a small quantity of a prohibited drug. The sentence took into account the offence of dealing with the property proceeds of crime.

In sentencing Vili, Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund told the court he claimed he was “completely naive getting in the car with Tofaeono.”