Perth billionaire Laurence Escalante pleads guilty to possessing drugs after jetting into Melbourne on private plane
One of Australia’s richest men says it was his “mistake” drugs were found in his bags during a search at a VIP terminal at Tullamarine.
Police & Courts
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One of Australia’s richest men was busted for drug possession moments after stepping off his luxury long-range jet, with the billionaire soaring into Melbourne on the same private plane to face court.
The Herald Sun can reveal Laurence Escalante, estimated to be worth a whopping $3.4bn, pleaded guilty to possessing “unlawfully imported” small quantities of cocaine, ecstasy and LSD when he fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard the Perth entrepreneur flew into Tullamarine on his jet – dubbed the “Ferrari of the Skies” – in May last year after a weekend bender in Las Vegas.
The father of four, who had travelled to the US for a work trip, told customs officers he had packed his own bags and was “fully aware” of their contents.
But he was soon escorted to a room for baggage examination, where officers discovered a zip lock bag containing 1g of cocaine and a blue ecstasy pill in a pair of jeans.
A small bottle holding 0.03mg of LSD was also found in his luggage.
“I didn’t even know that was in my bag or that I’ve had it,” he told officers of the LSD.
“The rest of the stuff is residue and remnants from my jeans.
“I did not dispose of (the drugs) appropriately. Yeah, it’s my mistake.”
The court also heard Escalante exchanged messages with one of his flight attendants, telling her he had “double checked” his suitcases before arrival in Australia.
Two other charges Escalante was facing were withdrawn by the prosecution.
The entrepreneur took to the skies on Wednesday afternoon as he headed from Perth to Melbourne, choosing to take his Instagram followers along for the ride.
The 41-year-old – who is one of the handful of Australians to own a Bombardier Global 7500 jet capable of flying from Australia’s east coast to America’s west coast non-stop – gave his followers a tour of the $75m plane.
The rich lister filmed himself walking down the cabin with its leather recliners, ending the video when he arrives at the private bedroom.
He landed at Melbourne Jet Base, a VIP terminal at Tullamarine, on Wednesday night ahead of his Thursday morning court hearing.
In the hours before he fronted court, he photographed himself in a designer suit and tie, sporting a Swiss luxury watch.
Escalante, whose first job was flipping burgers at Hungry Jacks, is now Australia’s 28th richest person, according to The Australian.
He founded company Virtual Gaming Worlds in 2010 which specialises in the “creation of cutting-edge online social games”, including Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots.
VGW’s revenue hit a record $3.1bn last year, making it the sixth largest Australian business by revenue.
Top silk David Hallowes, SC, who represented Escalante, told the court his client did not “properly make sure” he was not still possessing illegal substances.
However, he said the offending should be viewed at the “lowest end” considering Escalante – who has no relevant prior convictions – was not planning to sell the drugs nor was he possessing large quantities.
Mr Hallowes argued his client, who was “ashamed” by the charge, should be spared a conviction and handed a good behaviour bond.
Magistrate Donna Bakos was handed multiple character references written by Escalante’s loved ones who describe the father as a “hardworking” and “kind” family man.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment and/or a fine not exceeding approximately $13,000.
Escalante will be sentenced on Tuesday.
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