Yarrawonga’s Volodija ‘Nick’ Bogdan pleads guilty to drug trafficking: Court

A Yarrawonga drug dealer living off taxpayer money turned his government funded home into a drug den filled with weapons where he sold class-A drugs.

Volodija Nikolaj ‘Nick’ Bogdan pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after a police raid on his Yarrawonga home found him with a stash of gear and weapons. Picture: Facebook

A Yarrawonga man living off government housing turned his taxpayer funded home into a drug den filled with weapons where he sold ice, cocaine and cannabis.

Volodija Nikolaj ‘Nick’ Bogdan, 53, pleaded guilty in the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on November 14 following a raid on his Yarrawonga home earlier this year.

Bogdan pleaded guilty to trafficking methylamphetamine, trafficking cocaine and trafficking cannabis after Yarrawonga and Cobram police raided his address on April 13 and found a stash of gear.

Following his arrest, Bogdan was interviewed by police where he denied any knowledge of the drugs.

Along with the drugs, police also found tasers, capsicum spray and fireworks, to which Bogdan pleaded guilty to possessing.

Bogdan also pleaded guilty knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime after more than $15,000 was seized from his home.

While $15,000 was seized, police could only prove $6000 was from drug dealing, as Bogdan told police the cash seized at his property was money he had taken out from his superannuation, the court heard.

Volodija Nikolaj ‘Nick’ Bogdan, 53, was nabbed with a stash of drugs and guns after a police raid on his Yarrawonga home. Picture: Facebook

He told police the cash was going towards a holiday to see family overseas.

In his interview, Bogdan denied all allegations of selling gear, while he claimed he was given the tasers and fireworks, the court heard.

Text messages from an iPhone seized at his home between Bogdan and his contacts revealed him selling “eight balls” – a slang term for 3-3.5g of cocaine.

The court heard Bogdan lived at the Yarrawonga address for eight years which he rented through the Department of Housing through his disability pension.

In 2008, Bogdan suffered a number of surgeries as a result of previous employment as a labourer.

His drug use intensified after those surgeries and he had been on a disability pension since then.

Bogdan, who also pleaded guilty to possessing LSD and ecstasy, applied for a summary jurisdiction application, which would keep the matter in the magistrates court.

Bogdan’s lawyer Matthew Weinman argued he should receive a combination sentence as a result of time served and the fact it was Bogdan’s first time in custody.

Mr Weinman also told the court his client was not part of an organised crime group and his offending was not sophisticated.

Bogdan has spent most of this year behind bars at the Ravenhall Correctional Centre following his arrest. Picture: Facebook

Mr Weinman did note that trafficking ice was a notably serious offence and told the court the amount of ice Bogdan was found guilty of selling was 40 times over the trafficking threshold.

Prosecutor Michael Kats argued his ability to traffick three types of drugs for a number of months meant he should be sentenced in the County Court.

Mr Kats also argued the tasers found at the Yarrawonga property was concerning.

The court heard Bogdan was on crutches and a wheelchair during his time behind bars.
Magistrate Victoria Campbell told the court they were “very serious charges” but granted Bogdan’s application for the matter to be dealt with in the lower court.

Bogdan, who appeared via video link from Ravenhall Correctional Centre, will be sentenced at a later date.

He will be assessed for a community corrections order.