Inside undercover sting that caught ex-ABC presenter turned drug dealer
A former ABC presenter is facing the prospect of being jailed after he was caught in an undercover police sting selling drugs out of hotel rooms.
When former ABC presenter-turned-drug dealer Ashley Hall received an out-of-the blue message from a purported drug supplier, he replied cautiously, suggesting they meet first.
Little did Hall know, he had just been caught in a NSW Police undercover sting set up to bust his drug ring operating out of Sydney hotels.
Hall, the former executive producer of the national broadcaster’s flagship radio program AM, on Friday appeared before Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court as he faces the prospect of being jailed.
A statement of agreed facts, tendered as part of sentencing proceedings on Friday, sets out how Hall sold drugs to an undercover operative as police busted his drug operation.
The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying a prohibited drug and one count of knowingly dealing with in the proceeds of crime worth $87,820.
His charges relate to the supply of 8kg of Butanediol, 816g of methamphetamine, 85.3g of GHB, 662g of ecstasy and 78.5g of cocaine, according to a statement of agreed facts tendered to the court.
STRIKE FORCE WEISMANTLE
The drugs were supplied by Hall either during undercover stings or were seized during raids on hotel rooms following his arrest.
In August 2022, police launched Strike Force Weismantle to target Hall and his drug operation.
Between November 2022 and December 2022, police made four controlled drug purchases from Hall.
The undercover operative first messaged Hall in October 2022.
According to court documents, the undercover operative introduced himself as a supplier who was searching for a new “upline” supplier, because his regular connect was “unreliable”.
“The offender stated that they would need to meet in person before if they were to continue communicating,” the statement of agreed facts reads.
They organised to meet up at Redfern’s Little Evie cafe on November 1, 2022.
Once inside, Hall, wearing a red shirt and beige shorts, slowly approached the undercover cop before sitting down.
Hall told him that his operation was split between “retail” and “wholesale” supply, he could supply with almost no notice, he had two “upline suppliers” who he purchased drugs from and moved between different hotels every week.
The undercover cop agreed to purchase 500ml of GBH and 1g of methamphetamine and paid Hall $2050, making the exchange in Hall’s car.
They arranged another meeting on November 10 and Hall instructed the officer to park in a car park in the Sydney CBD.
The undercover operative attempted calling Hall three times and messaged him saying he was about to leave when Hall responded: “Sorry, poor form, I dozed off. Come over to front of Fraser Suites. I’ll meet you on the footpath.”
In an upper level hotel room, the undercover operative purchased 1.5L of GBH in three shampoo bottles and three ounces of methamphetamine at $6000 per ounce, handing over $22,500 in cash.
Two days following their fourth and final controlled purchase, police sprang their trap when they arrested Hall outside the Ibis Hotel in Sydney’s CBD.
Police found a small amount of methamphetamine and cannabis in his wallet, as well as swipe keys for rooms at the IBIS and Mantra hotels.
Officers later raided the rooms, finding $87,820 stored in a suitcase and cardboard box, as well as a cache of drugs consisting of 84.3g of GBL and 2.5kg of cannabis.
“TRAGEDY”
It’s the second time Hall has come before the court for drug offending after he was arrested in similar circumstances in 2019.
He previously narrowly avoided being sent to jail after police found a cache of ice, MDMA, cocaine, cannabis, LSD and the party drug GBL when they searched his 24th floor room at the Meriton Suites on Pitt St.
On that occasion he pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a prohibited drug and four counts of drug possession. He was handed a 12-month community corrections order on that occasion.
Judge Penelope Hock, who is due to sentence Hall later this month, said it was a “tragedy” he had not learnt from that experience.
Before he left the public broadcaster, Hall was the executive producer for AM, as well as working as a reporter and presenter for ABC Local Radio, the PM and The World Today programs.
He has been in custody bail refused since his arrest.
He told the court on Friday that upon his release from jail he intended to write a book and make a podcast to “give a voice to people who otherwise don’t have one”.
“The last 21 months in custody have been torture, very difficult for me, but I have tried my hardest to use that period to rehabilitate myself. I’ve engaged with whatever has been offered to help with that,” Hall told the court on Friday.
He described drugs as a “scourge” on the community.
Hall also said he had brought “shame and humiliation” on friends, family and the ABC, which he said he had “worked proudly for nearly 20 years”.
He also claims that before his arrest he was threatened at gunpoint by a drug dealer demanding $120,000.
“Are you making this up about allegedly being threatened for $120,000,” Crown prosecutor Lou Lungo asked.
“Absolutely not,” Mr Hall replied.
He also said he was the victim of a home invasion in 2021, but he refused to make a statement because he didn’t trust police.
Hall is due to be sentenced on August 30 Friday.
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