Stefan Belan: ‘Mad Russian’ gambler dealt drugs to pay off gangsters
A Frankston father has appeared in court — from a hospital where his first child had just been born — to be sentenced for dealing drugs.
South East
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A drug-addicted gambler who calls himself the ‘Mad Russian’ sold cocaine and ecstasy to pay back debts to “unsociable” underworld figures, a court has heard.
Stefan Belan appeared at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Friday from a hospital where his first child had just been born.
The 41-year-old cocaine-abusing concreter was being sentenced after a police raid at his Frankston East home uncovered a four-month dealing operation.
The court heard officers went to his house on April 26, 2019 and asked Belan if he had any drugs.
He said he did, and took them to his bedroom where they found a safe with 63 ecstasy pills, deal bags, prescription medication and 14g of cannabis.
On his phone was a plethora of messages discussing ecstasy and cocaine sales, with prices and amounts, as well as images of wads of cash and samples of the drugs he had available.
He told police he was a “middleman” who “connected people” with substances.
Defence lawyer Kieran Burke said his client was now free of debts, gambling and drugs, had clean screens to prove it and had self-excluded from a number of pokies and wagering venues.
He said Belan had moved away from the “unsociable” people in the Frankston area he used to deal drugs for.
“He was at a low ebb in life, was using drugs and gambling which led to financial distress and owing debts to those who he didn’t want to owe debts to,” Mr Burke said.
He said the birth of his first child was a strong motivating factor for him to continue to stay clean, and “he was happy to leave behind” the scene he had been part of.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso said this was “not low-level drug-dealing” and it did immense damage.
“You were selling drugs to fund your own use and assist in the settlement of debts,” Mr Gattuso said.
“Selling drugs to others spreads the scourge of drug use.
“It is a huge problem throughout the community.”
He said it seemed Belan had turned his life around and because of his co-operation, remorse and treatment he wasn’t going to jail, but this was his one and only chance to avoid prison.
He was placed on a 20-month community corrections order with 200 hours of unpaid work, gambling and drug counselling conditions.
He was also fined $250 for cannabis possession.
