Accused travel agent fraudster jailed for drug trafficking

A TRAVEL agent accused of ripping off his clients was already dealing drugs when a court lifted his curfew to let him work at nightclub.

Colac Travel Agent Jordan Dittloff leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court after getting bail.Dittloff is up on fraud charges with hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel money missing.Picture verified by Reporter Rebecca Cavanagh.Picture:Ian Currie

A TRAVEL agent accused of ripping off his clients was already dealing drugs when a court lifted his curfew to let him work at nightclub.

Jordan Dittloff, 27, who is still awaiting court hearings over allegedly ripping off his clients at Ace Travel in Colac, today pleaded guilty to 10 drug-related charges.

He was sentenced to six months’ jail and placed on an 18-month community corrections order. On his release, he will be required to undergo drug rehabilitation and offender behaviour programs.

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard Dittloff had been the subject of a Victoria Police undercover sting, Operation Kinglac, targeting his drug activities in the CBD.

The court heard Dittloff used the Surespot app on his mobile phone, under the username jbd2015, to organise drug deals with his customers — including a covert police officer.

The first interaction with the covert, who went by the name “Damo”, on June 13 came a day after Dittloff handed himself into police, was charged with 36 counts of theft for allegedly swindling his travel agent clients of $200,000, and bailed on strict conditions.

The undercover officer paid $450 cash in exchange for a coin bag containing 20 ecstasy pills.

Six days later, “Damo” contacted Dittloff again via Surespot and arranged another deal, driving to his North Melbourne house to collect 40 ecstasy pills and 3.5g of methamphetamine.

Similar deals were made over the coming weeks, culminating in Dittloff being arrested in Hardware Lane in Melbourne’s CBD just before 9pm on July 7.

Representing Dittloff, Ian Pugh told the court his client had been assessed by a psychologist and was diagnosed with ADHD, which would explain his poor decision making.

He said his client was “desperate” and turned to drug trafficking after his successful travel business had started to fail.

“He understands he has hurt many people. He’s prepared to take the punishment the court gives him,” Mr Pugh said.

“I would ask that any sentence you give him wouldn’t be crushing.”

Magistrate Peter Riordan said drugs were causing major problems in the community across the state and that drug trafficking requires a “condign punishment”.

Mr Riordan said he failed to see any connection between ADHD and the offences and that the 59 days Dittloff had already spent in jail was “insufficient time”.

An earlier court hearing was told Dittloff wanted to take a job “in the hospitality industry” and his night curfew was lifted. He was arrested for drug offences less than two weeks later.

Originally published as Accused travel agent fraudster jailed for drug trafficking