Tully woman, Stacey Jane Cifuentes, 42, pleads guilty to eight drug charges over meth business that supported her own habit

A Tully woman who told a court she was dealing meth to support her own and her former partner’s drug habits has been sentenced in Cairns Supreme Court for trafficking, supplying and producing drugs.

Tully woman Stacey Jane Cifuentes pleaded guilty to trafficking meth in the Far North between April and October 2023.

A street-level meth dealer who turned over more than $25,000 of product in the Far North has been sentenced to a suspended prison term and probation for trafficking drugs.

Tully woman Stacey Jane Cifuentes, 42, pleaded guilty in Cairns Supreme Court to eight charges, including trafficking dangerous drugs between April 2023 and October 2023, supplying, possessing and producing a dangerous drug, and possessing things used in the connection of a drug offence in 2023.

Crown prosecutor Tegan Grasso told the court Cifuentes had at least 24 customers and would use coded language to execute deals.

Ms Grasso said police officers analysing Cifuentes’ bank accounts identified more than 100 electronic transfer deposits, totalling more than $25,200, and she also made cash exchanges.

Cairns Supreme Court was told Cifuentes started taking meth later in life after experiencing violence.

Cifuentes continued to deal in drugs after she was first arrested, the court was told, aggravating the offence and landing her in prison on remand.

Defence barrister Molly Mahlouzaridez told the court Cifuentes had been employed most of her life as a hospitality worker, retail worker, delivery driver and cleaner, but had experienced violence and drug addiction later in life.

Ms Mahlouzaridez said Cifuentes completed a residential rehabilitation program, was well supported by family and friends to stay clean and had been offered a job as a pool technician on her release.

Justice James Henry told the court Cifuentes’ recent rehabilitation efforts were somewhat promising, and noted the “misery” meth brings to users and the community.

He sentenced her to three-and -a-half years’ prison, suspended immediately for three-and-a-half years to take into account the 203 days she spent in custody, and also sentenced her to two years’ probation.

Justice James Henry sentenced Cifuentes to three-and-a-half years’ prison and two years’ probation. Picture: Brendan Radke

He said he accepted Cifuentes was selling meth to support her own and her former partner’s addictions, and had accepted responsibility for her actions, made attempts at rehabilitation and pleaded guilty in a timely way.

“Those engaging in meth tend to find the cycle hard to break until they are quarantined in prison. Your persistence during the trafficking period makes it plain … you were prepared, for your own financial benefit, to trade in the misery of this drug to others,” Justice Henry said.

Justice Henry described meth as a drug that brought “misery” to the user and the community.

“It brings misery to the user, causes those who are drawn to it to commit property offences, and causes some users to become violent, aggressive and paranoid, committing acts of violence towards innocent members of the community.

“You continued with quite hard-nosed persistence of offending, despite several warning indications (that you were under investigation) knowing … to have kept going in those circumstances.”

The court was told Cifuentes also had cannabis butter and scales in her possession when searched by the police.

Originally published as Tully woman, Stacey Jane Cifuentes, 42, pleads guilty to eight drug charges over meth business that supported her own habit