Melbourne plumber Bronson Interlandi jailed for dial-a-deal cocaine trafficking delivery racket
A Hawthorn East plumber who was the ‘Big Boy’ of a citywide cocaine racket has seen his drug empire go down the drain.
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A Hawthorn East plumber who was the brains behind a Melbourne-wide cocaine delivery racket has been jailed.
Bronson Interlandi, 34, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to a minimum three years’ jail after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine.
Interlandi, who also pleaded guilty to drug possession and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, co-ordinated the drug racket between November 2019 and June 2020.
The court heard Interlandi sold cocaine after his healthy snack machine company ‘Aussie Lean Machine’ collapsed.
Details on how Interlandi operated the racket were outlined in a prosecution summary tendered to the court.
Interlandi supplied cocaine to primary operatives Anthony Belfiore and Matar Dvir-Ovadia.
Belfiore, under the alias ‘Chris’, and Dvir-Ovadia, under the alias ‘Andy’, used phones issued by Interlandi to receive orders via SMS, calls and encrypted messaging application ‘Signal’.
Interlandi devised a four-week roster system where Belfiore worked a three-week “shift” and Dvir-Ovadia clocked-on the other week.
The crony pair picked up customers who were made to sit in the back seat.
The customers were then driven a short distance and the deal was done.
Interlandi and his crew sold two types of cocaine products “normals” and “supers” for $300-$400 a gram.
The crew used hired vehicles and codewords such as “beers” to mask their illicit activity.
Police, who launched an investigation on the crew in October 2019, established Interlandi was the “head of the operation”.
Investigators discovered operatives referred to Interlandi as ‘Bronson’, ‘The Big Boy’, ‘B’, ‘Boss’ and ‘Bron’.
Police surveillance captured Belfiore and other players sling coke at multiple locations throughout Melbourne including outside pubs in Richmond and the city.
The crew used storage units at Hawthorn and Richmond, Belfiore’s Richmond apartment and a rented office suite “safe house” at Malvern to store drugs and cash.
Police installed cameras and listening devices at various locations and conducted telephone intercepts during the lengthy operation.
Belfiore, whose Bridge Rd apartment was bugged, was recorded boasting about he had saved up $100,000 after being told by Interlandi that he had earned $330,000 in a year.
Belfiore was also recorded telling a recruit she could earn good cash and “she’s taking a big risk and that she’ll be looked after by Bronson”.
The woman said the operation “runs so well” and “they even have the number for the lawyer”.
Belfiore was intercepted on the phone speaking with multiple customers discussing the cost of the “big” bags, how the “Big Boss” had a rule about no credit and where to meet for drug deals.
Investigators moved in and arrested the gang on June 10 last year.
Police raided the storage units, Belfiore’s apartment, the Malvern office and Interlandi’s Hawthorn East home.
Police seized 376 grams of cocaine from various locations and caught Belfiore with steroids and $12,985.
The 248 grams of pure cocaine located at the Milton Parade office was only linked to Interlandi.
Dvir-Ovadia, 24, who is also a plumber, was only involved in the operation between February and May last year.
The court was told Belfiore, who pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime, fell into debt after his Richmond pizza business went bust.
Belfiore, 35, now works as a deck hand for Melbourne River Cruises, the court was told.
Interlandi, who also pleaded guilty to obtain a financial advantage, was on bail for a separate fraud racket.
Interlandi, a father, sold 29 vending machines that he did not own to Melbourne Vending Company for $201,500 then pocketed the dough.
The prolific crook also fleeced more than $7000 via a bogus accountancy racket.
The court heard Interlandi was an “outstanding” footballer, who won three premierships with Kilcunda-Bass Panthers in the Alberton Football League.
Interlandi, who appeared via videolink from Fulham Correctional, finished Korumburra Secondary College, worked as a plumber then launched his doomed vending machine company in 2014.
The court was told Interlandi’s dismal business failure was his “first concrete setback”.
Interlandi “self-medicated” with cocaine then “graduated” to dealing cocaine, the court was told.
Interlandi’s barrister said his client will move back to the family property near Leongatha in South Gippsland once released from custody.
Judge Wendy Wilmoth jailed Interlandi for a maximum six years after spending 345 days on remand.
Belfiore was sentenced to two years’ jail with a minimum 12 months.
Dvir-Ovadia was handed a three-year community correction order with 300 hours of unpaid community work.
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