Veronica Sabo fronts court over heroin trafficking out of a St Kilda cafe

A Melbourne drug addict cum rehab mentor who ran a heroin trafficking outlet from a St Kilda cafe was snared during a police operation.

Windsor House rehab worker Veronica Sabo has escaped jail for ran a heroin trafficking empire out of a St Kilda cafe.

A Melbourne mum who ran a heroin trafficking empire out of a St Kilda cafe has escaped jail

mainly due to her efforts at rehabilitation and securing full-time work.

Veronica Sabo fronted the County Court on Tuesday after earlier pleading guilty to charges of trafficking heroin, attempting to possess a marketable quantity of cocaine and dishonestly obtaining stolen goods.

Judge Liz Gaynor said exceptional circumstances existed whereby she could step back from imposing a jail term before sentencing Sabo to an 18-month community corrections order on the charge of trafficking heroin.

Sabo was released on a three-year recognizance release order and fined $1000 on the other charges.

The 42-year-old was arrested alongside her boyfriend Christopher Noti and drug ring player Duncan Peck following Joint Organised Crime Task Force investigation ‘Operation Rhyolite’.

Veronica Sabo’s good prospects for rehabilitation and full-time work saved her from going to prison.

Peck has pleaded guilty to various drug charges and will appear for sentence on February 3, 2025 while Noti will pleads to similar charges on December 11.

The court heard that Sabo’s modus operandi was to leave Peck half gram deal bags in a drawer at a St Kilda property.

Peck collected the heroin from the Marine Parade unit then “arranged payment at a later stage”.

Covert cops caught the drug ring players in action via surveillance and phone intercepts.

The Peck deals included a period where more than $4000 of smack was sold between August 24 and August 31.

Sabo and her drug crony also sold to “local drug users” from Noti’s cafe at 52 Robe St in St Kilda, the court heard.

Sabo and Peck also teamed up in an attempt to possess cocaine shipped into Australia via Hawaii.

Judge Gaynor said the coke consignment was masked as ‘Children’s Board Game’ and bound for a Balaclava property.

Australian customs initially cleared the consignment but investigators who intercepted the cocaine asked it be sent back to FedEx.

Sabo and Peck were caught texting about the consignment after it was seized on September 28, 2021.

The plan went sideways after Sabo told Peck the drugs were not at the St Kilda Rd property.

Police brought the hammer down and arrested Sabo, Noti and Peck on December 7, 2021.

Investigators raided Peck’s Bentleigh East home, Sabo’s St Kilda unit and Noti’s St Kilda cafe and seized drugs.

Veronica Sabo was one of three people arrested following Joint Organised Crime Task Force investigation ‘Operation Rhyolite’.

Judge Gaynor said Sabo had had many violent and abusive relationships over the years and that she injected herself with coke, ice and heroin during that time.

Sabo continued her heavy drug use until her arrest but has since sought treatment and worked as a rehab mentor at Windsor House Private.

“I’ve had ample evidence of what I’d regard as sustained, sincere, wide ranging and determined efforts at rehabilitation,” Judge Gaynor said.

She said Sabo worked actively within the drug and rehabilitation community, she has established an independent living, had been working at a bakery in Trentham and has strong family support.

“The effect of drugs upon countless members of the community are devastating, ruinous and cause untold misery- misery you yourself have experienced,” the judge said.