Aspendale dad Paul Rodgerson begs judge for leniency after running dark web drug empire
An Aspendale dad who masterminded a dark web drug empire has begged for leniency because he suffered “shame and regret”.
South East
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An Aspendale dad who was the brains behind a drug gang which manufactured and peddled ecstasy via the dark web has begged to be spared a lengthy jail term.
Paul Rodgerson, 42, fronted the County Court this week after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking a marketable quantity of MDMA.
Rodgerson ran drug gang ‘The Flying Kangaroo’ for several months until his arrest in November 2016, the court was told during an earlier hearing.
Defence barrister Rishi Nathwani said his client was “partners” in the operation with co-offender Robert Olczyk.
However, Mr Nathwani said Rodgerson played the “manager role” because he was “smarter” than Olczyk.
“ (Rodgerson) played the alpha role and took over,” Mr Nathwani said.
Mr Nathwani asked Judge Michael Tinney to hand Rodgerson a shorter jail term possibly combined with a combined suspended sentence.
Much of this week’s drawn out plea hearing was taken up with evidence presented by the defence about what effect jail would have on Rodgerson and those close to him.
The court was told Rodgerson “devastated” his brother’s construction business MPR Building due to his offending and the fallout with family was a form of “punishment”.
Rodgerson worked at MPR at the time of the offending and MDMA was manufactured by Olczyk at a Moorabbin factory linked to MPR.
Mr Nathwani said MPR had “suffered” because of Rodgerson who also caused “further havoc to his family life”.
“The punishment is shame and regret,” Mr Nathwani said.
Mr Nathwani said the burden of prison will weigh heavily on Rodgerson’s mind due to his concern for family members and in turn those family members would suffer due to Rodgerson being imprisoned.
Rodgerson’s sister Nicole Trionfi also gave evidence.
Ms Trionfi said Rodgerson never admitted to her he was guilty until he heard him say it in court.
She did not deny Rodgerson told her that while he was on remand the investigators were “never going to get into the computers”.
“He would talk about how sad he is that he is in this mess,” Ms Trionfi said.
She said Rodgerson pleaded guilty because “we just want all this done with” but denied he ever discussed the case with her
“(He said to me) I’m (Rodgerson) not going to talk to you about this mess Nicole,” Ms Trionfi said.
Mr Nathwani said media coverage had affected his client’s mental health and highlighted the unexpected TV news crew who were “stalking him with cameras” on his way into court.
He also sighted delay in the matter as a significant factor in mitigation.
Mr Nathwani told Judge Tinney that his client had no priors, wasn’t a drug user and spent most of the drug racket sitting behind a “computer”.
“This is a calculated crime that he’s involved in,” Judge Tinney said.
“He knows he’s not selling ballpoint pens.”
Federal authorities latched onto Rodgerson and his crew after discovering a Flying Kangaroo advert on dark net site Dream Market.
Covert operative ‘Red Bandit’ purchased the gang’s signature Qantas logo stamped flying kangaroo ecstasy via Wickr, Dream Market and dark web site AlphaBay.
Investigators seized evidence at Rodgerson’s Aspendale home, the factory and Olczyk’s rented Moorabbin home after the pair’s arrest.
The prosecution submitted Rodgerson held a “superior, cerebral, secretive and secure” role within the crew.
The gang sought to purchase pill presses and had dealings with manufacturers in China, the court heard.
Rodgerson was also linked to the purchase of blue food colouring used to dye the distinctive tablets.
The court heard Rodgerson had “major online input” related to the ordering process and “after sales liaison” with Chinese ecstasy production equipment suppliers.
Rodgerson, who denied dealing drugs, told police he had worked in IT and was “technically savvy”.
Rodgerson, who claimed to “not be a regular user of the dark net”, told police he was aware drugs were sold on the dark web.
He said those who hosted dark net websites were “pretty on the ball” and “enjoying the buzz”.
“Feeling powerful … they like that feeling,” Rodgerson said.
“I guess they’re committing crimes but, you know, they don’t consider it as a criminal act but you guys do, so — it is what it is.”
Rodgerson confirmed he had seen the name “Flying Kangaroo” on the dark net.
He said Flying Kangaroo was “one of the four main guys selling stuff that came up” but claimed to know “nothing” about “him”.
Rodgerson also refused investigators access to his devices.
“You don’t need access to all of my information,” Rodgerson said.
“I’m not involved in this network or whatever you’ve got going on here.
I don’t know anything about it and I’m not going to be involved in it.”
Olczyc, who was Rodgerson’s “hands-on” operative in charge of manufacture and distribution in Victoria, was jailed in October 2019 to a maximum nine years’ and eight months after pleading guilty to importing, trafficking and manufacturing MDMA.
Mr Nathwani pleaded with Judge Tinney to extend his client’s bail so he could finalise personal matters but the no nonsense judge said it would “not be appropriate” to extend bail.
Rodgerson, who also pleaded guilty to possess substance to manufacture drug, MDMA possession and failure to comply with order to assist police, was remanded for sentencing on February 18.
