Rahab Cespedes awaits sentence for running drug syndicate ‘Emily’

A dental assistant who ran a cocaine syndicate where she sent out mass text messages to customers to drum up sales before her friends delivered the drugs will be assessed for home detention.

Rahab Cespedes pleaded guilty to supplying 125g of drugs while she ran a drug operation. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A dental assistant who ran a cocaine syndicate where she sent out mass text messages to customers to drum up sales before her friends delivered the drugs has been told she is facing a jail sentence.

Rahab Lopez Cespedes, 34, ran the operation known as “Emily” where she employed runners, who were her girlfriends, to deliver product on weekends.

In Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday, Cespedes made a mental health application after she pleaded guilty to one count of supplying cocaine.

She was told she was facing a jail sentence to be served as home detention.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Bankstown region enforcement officers established a strike force to investigate the syndicate which used a “control phone” to receive orders from customers before runners would deliver cocaine throughout Sydney including to affluent suburbs.

Rahab Cespedes (left) and Mikaela Turner outside Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Investigators used telephone intercepts, physical surveillance and cell phone tower data to track Cespedes’ location and the sales carried out by a runner from June last year.

Documents state Cespedes was the only person using the control phone and was running the day-to-day management of the runners from her San Souci home.

She took control of the phone in July after the previous owner went overseas.

Between July and October 13, Cespedes was recorded to be involved either directly or indirectly in the supply of 125g of cocaine totalling about $64,000.

Rahab Cespedes. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

On July 28 she sent a mass marketing text message to contacts which read, “hey everyone, sorry about the delay. We had no car and no product. It’s been dry everywhere but the good news, we’re back on tonight!”

Police saw Cespedes drop off 1g of cocaine to a customer in Kirribilli on August 12.

On August 18 she sent another mass text message saying, “hey everyone we’re back in business with stronger stuff. Let me know if you need me.”

Cespedes then arranged with a customer in Bexley to sell two bags totalling 1g before she delivered it to him.

Lara Alali pleaded guilty to ongoing drug supply and drug possession. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

On September 16 Cespedes organised a $500 sale but told runner Lara Alali to drive her own black Mercedes while Cespedes was a passenger to Condell Park for a sale before they drove to Arncliffe to deliver another bag of drugs.

Police used physical surveillance to record another runner Mikaela Turner delivering cocaine to customers in Balmain, Kirribilli and Pyrmont on October 8 at the direction of Cespedes before Turner returned to the San Souci home.

Cespedes’ home was raided on October 14 where they arrested her and Turner.

In court, Cespedes’ lawyer Anton Norkin made an application for the charges to be dealt with under mental health grounds rather than at law.

He said a psychological report noted Cespedes suffered from major depressive disorder, substance dependence and grief after losing her grandfather.

The case was adjourned for a home detention assessment.

The court heard Cespedes had since “completely changed her life” by becoming baptised and attending church every Sunday, getting a TAFE qualification and she was working as a dental assistant four days a week and an aged care worker one day.

Mr Norkin said a conviction could jeopardise Cespedes’ employment and her chances to become a dentist given she would need to be registered with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

Mr Norkin said her employer did not know about her charges which was why there was no letter of support.

Mr Norkin said Cespedes was an “exceptional and exemplary offender” who had stopped taking drugs.

Magistrate Philip Stewart refused to deal with the charges under the Mental Health Act noting Cespedes was not seriously mentally impaired because she was able to operate a drug phone, take orders from customers and organise runners to make deliveries for almost three months, adding the offences were too serious.

“This is a very sophisticated and serious drug supply matter in our community,” he said.

“It involved the co-ordination of a significant amount of drugs and three people who were drivers, run by the offender.”

Mr Stewart said the only appropriate sentence was imprisonment.

He adjourned the case to May 14 for a home detention assessment to be carried out.

Turner pleaded guilty to supplying prohibited drugs and was convicted and sentenced to a 14-month intensive correction order.

Alali was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order and fined $3800 after she pleaded guilty to ongoing drug supply and drug possession.