Jason Stafrace sentenced for drugs and weapons offences

Bendigo police pulled over a car with suspicious plates, before uncovering a massive stash of drugs and cash inside. Read what happened in court.

A Bendigo driver who was pulled over by police to query his car registration plates was found to have seven times the trafficable quantity of methamphetamine in his car along with stacks of cash.

Jason Martin Stafrace, 39, was convicted at the Bendigo Magistrates Court on a string of charges including using homemade plastic car registration plates and drug and weapon offences.

The court was told he had served 60 days in custody after being intercepted by police shortly after midnight on September 29, 2022.

Police pulled him over to speak about the nature of the fake plastic registration plates but performed a search of his vehicle after they spotted drug paraphernalia inside.

The court was told the search uncovered shotgun cartridge ammunition and several zip lock bags containing drugs and cash.

The bags contained seven grams of heroin, 23 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of cannabis and cash totalling about $5800.

“This is seven times the trafficable quantity of methamphetamine,” Magistrate Russell Kelly said.

“There’s a hell of a lot of drugs there.”

Jason Stafrace outside Bendigo Magistrates Court on April 3, 2023. Picture: Julieanne Strachan

Stafrace told police he had bought the car with the plates attached but an examination of the police database revealed its original plates but that its registration had expired.

The court was told police suspected Stafrace had been living in his car at the time, but he had since gained stable accommodation and employment.

He had also completed a drug reform program since his arrest.

Mr Kelly said Stafrace would be convicted of trafficking methamphetamine, heroin, possessing cannabis, dealing with suspected proceeds of crime, driving unregistered vehicle, using fraudulent registration labels and possessing ammunition.

He sentenced him to time served and an 18-month community corrections order.

He also ordered the confiscated items be forfeited.