Nathan Owen Vanderburg sentenced for role in alleged drug ring

A man was busted with $368k, a firearm and drugs he had stashed in the western Sydney home he shared with his mother. A key member of the alleged syndicate has learned his fate.

An item Strike Force Raptor investigators seized in October 2022.

A key member of an alleged drug syndicate who was busted with $368,000, cocaine, a gun, ammunition and drug paraphernalia will spend at least three more years behind bars.

Strike Force Raptor police stormed Nathan Owen Vanderburg’s Toongabbie house where he lived with his mum before searching the safehouse he established in a unit at Carlingford where his DNA was found on more items in October 2022.

Almost a year later, Vanderburg, 28, pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime possessing an unauthorised pistol.

Police facts reveal the search at Vanderburg’s Ballandella Rd home on October 13, 2022, uncovered $368,000 in cash including $5000 hidden in a compartment of his van, a Desert Eagle self-loading 9mm pistol with nine rounds of ammunition, 18 shotgun cartridges, 109.6g of powdered cocaine, 10.1g of cannabis leaf, a money counting machine and keys to the safehouse.

A bundle of documents about the lease of the Carlingford property at Post Office St was also seized.

The cash was seized at Toongabbie. Picture: NSW Police

Items seized at Toongabbie and Carlingford. Picture: NSW Police

The raid at the unit uncovered 13kg of cocaine – in bundles stamped Trump, T-Rex, NZ Warriors, Subway and Visa – and a Winchester 0.22 calibre long rifle ammunition that contained 49 rounds.

“Police noticed a large amount of white powder in one of the bedrooms along with hydraulic pressing equipment,’’ the agreed facts stated.

“The apartments was only sparsely furnished and did not resemble a space that was being lived in.’’

Cops then enlisted the Chemical Operations Unit police, who uncovered a 1L bottle of kerosene and acetone, a cordless blower and vacuum unit, a trowel, pick, scrapers and duct tape.

Vanderburg’s fingerprints were found all over the apartment including the Winchester .22 rifle, a fridge, kettle, candle and multiple surfaces in the bathroom and ensuite.

The T-Rex cocaine stash. Picture: NSW Police

A pistol and ammunition was among the cache. Picture: NSW Police

At Parramatta District Court, Vanderburg was sentenced to eight years in jail back dated from December 2022 with a non-parole period of four years and nine months.

He is first eligible for parole on September 12, 2027. His guilty plea allowed him to have 25 per cent taken off his sentence.

Another member of the alleged drug ring, Shae Oliveia Becker, 24, was sentenced in October after she pleaded guilty to possessing or using a prohibited weapon without permit, supplying a prohibited drug (greater than a large commercial quantity) and dealing with identity info to commit etc indictable offence.

The 24 year old used the alias of Rachel Palmer to submit an online lease for the Carlingford property.

She was sentenced to a three-year intensive correction order, which allows her to serve her time in the community, and 100 hours of community service.

Her boyfriend, Beau Anderson pleaded guilty to his involvement in the alleged ring, which included organising the rent of the safehouse.

In December, he pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, two counts of manufacturing a pistol without a licence/permit, two counts of possessing an unauthorised pistol, possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, possessing or using a prohibited weapon without permit, supplying a prohibited drug (greater than indictable), supplying a prohibited drug (greater than a large commercial quantity) and taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug (greater than a commercial quantity).

A sentence hearing is listed for April 15.