Kristiana Karakostas avoids jail for trafficking cocaine via Craigslist with The Bachelor star friend
A former high-flying real estate agent who peddled cocaine with reality TV star Georgia Tripos via Craigslist has been backed by her Woodards bosses, who called her drug-dealing racket an “error of judgement”.
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A real estate agent caught peddling cocaine via Craigslist with her reality TV schoolfriend has avoided jail time.
Kristiana Karakostas, 27, was sentenced in the County Court today to a three-year community correction order after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine.
Karakostas and former The Bachelor contestant Georgia Tripos were busted in March 2017 following a month-long covert police operation.
Police launched their sting after investigators discovered a coded ad for cocaine on online classifieds site Craigslist in February 2017.
The ad featured terms including “St Kilda (sic) party in Melbourne”, “Grab some White VIP for $350” and “Message Charlie”.
Karakostas sold an undercover cop a bag of cocaine for $350 at a carpark behind a Mount Waverley Shell service station on February 22.
The operative arranged another deal with Karakostas but the sale never took place.
Karakostas was arrested at Woodards Mount Waverley office on March 15.
She was caught with more than six grams of cocaine – including half-a-gram of cocaine in her purse – drug paraphernalia, tick notes and more than $3000 cash.
Tripos, who caused a stir on the Bachelor’s third season while vying for Richie Strahan’s heart, arrived at the office as Karakostas was being arrested.
The pair spoke in a “foreign language” before police ordered Tripos to leave.
Tripos remained at the scene and messaged a man asking for advice on what to do with cocaine stored at Karakostas’ Glen Iris home, the court heard.
Police watched Karakostas’s home before executing a search warrant.
Tripos, who was spotted driving near the property, was later intercepted with $3000 and arrested.
Investigators then seized more than 20 grams of cocaine, digital scales and 250gm of ethylpentylone – a designer drug commonly sold as MDMA – from Karakostas’s home.
Police raided Tripos’ Balwyn North home later that evening and seized $3350 cash, cocaine, and four cocaine purity test kits.
Investigators determined Karakostas made 49 sales or “offers to sell” cocaine, and moved almost 70 grams of the drug between February 2 and March 10.
Phone analysis revealed the glamour drug dealers referred to the ethylpentylone as “M” which Karakostas intended to sell.
Intercepted text messages between Karakostas and Tripos revealed their dealings with suspected suppliers, how they referred to themselves as the Mafia and how they were not dumb.
The court heard Karakostas was “severely addicted to cocaine”.
Woodards Group chief executive John Piccolo and Woodards Mount Waverley director Peter Kladouris said that Karakostas’ offending was “out of character”.
The court heard both men supported Karakostas “professionally and personally”.
Both men considered Karakostas was a “person of great future potential” who committed an “error of judgement”.
Judge Irene Lawson said Karakostas – who has remained drug free for three years – had “excellent prospects of rehabilitation”.
“I can see this has been a real wake up call,” Judge Lawson said.
Karakostas was also ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid community service.
Karakostas had her REIV membership stripped after her guilty plea was revealed earlier this month.
Tripos, who pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine, will contest other charges at a trial pencilled in for November 9.
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