Oaks Melbourne drug dealer Alexander Reilly jailed for trafficking drugs

An ex-Crown valet who got a bit “lost” on meth was nabbed with an Aladdin’s Cave of drugs and weapons at his Southbank hotel

The gun seized by police after arresting drug dealer Alexander Reilly. Supplied: County Court/OPP.

A former Crown employee, turned drug dealer, who set up a shop at a high-rise Southbank hotel, has ben jailed.

Alexander Reilly, 29, was sentenced in the County Court on Wednesday to a minimum 21-month jail term after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking meth and GHB.

Reilly was on the police radar after he sold meth to undercover cops on several occasions between May and June last year.

Police nabbed Reilly on Lonsdale St after the drug trafficker had tried to sell covert operatives an ounce of meth for $8500 on June 9.

Reilly, who also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm, a prohibited weapon and ammunition, was caught with the meth and $1045.

Police then raided Reilly’s Oaks Melbourne Southbank Suites apartment and seized $11,050 cash, 843gm of GHB, more meth, various prescription drugs including Valium and Xanax, morphine, cannabis and a .22 rim-fire homemade action revolver.

Investigators also seized ammo for the revolver, knuckle dusters, digital scales, zip lock bags and multiple drivers licences.

The court heard Reilly was an unemployed meth user who had been “lost” the last few years after completing a certificate in hospitality and event management.

Reilly, from Abbotsford, had worked as valet for Crown prior to his drug downfall.

His lawyer submitted Reilly had been masking depression with drug use, and tendered a psychologist’s report, claiming he had lowered culpability for the crimes.

But Judge Justin Hannebery disagreed, saying Reilly had been “preying on people with the same drug dependencies as himself for money”.

“That would say to me that this offence has extremely high moral culpability – however you cut it,” Judge Hannebery said.

Judge Hannebery further noted Reilly had access to a “substantial” amount of drugs which made him “worse than just a street-level dealer”.

Reilly’s lawyer further argued her client was of lower moral culpability because his firearm had a defect which made it unable to fire.

But Judge Hannebery said he “didn’t think whoever had made the gun intended it not to work”.

The court heard Reilly was an Australian citizen born in New Zealand who hoped to return to his homeland to be with family “as soon as possible”.

Judge Hannebery, who said Reilly’s culpability for trafficking was “very high, jailed the dealer for a maximum two years and six months.

Reilly had spent 364 days on remand.

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