Bodhi Amendolia pleads guilty to possessing firearm found during drug raid

A former prescription drug dealer has been told he was “dreaming” after he explained to police the makeshift firearm uncovered behind his bed during a search warrant belonged to a mate.

Bodhi Vincenzo Amendolia leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday. Picture: Sam Turner

A former xanax dealer has told police who raided his home looking for drugs that the homemade gun found behind his bedhead was his mate’s.

Magistrate Rod Madsen told Bodhi Vincenzo Amendolia on Friday in court he must have been “dreaming” if he thought officers were going to believe his explanation following the search in his home on July 30, 2023.

Police prosecutor James Allen told Maroochydore Magistrates Court police raided the home about 12.45pm in relation to drugs and spoke to Amendolia.

Mr Allen said behind Amendolia’s bed head they uncovered a homemade firearm in two parts with a shotgun round in it.

Amendolia outside court. Picture: Sam Turner

The 20-year-old told police his friend left it at his house.

When handling the weapon, Amendolia told police “don’t push that into there”, indicating the officer should not put the parts together.

Mr Allen said when officers asked Amendolia why, he said if it was the weapon his mate left there it would “blow out the cartridge pellet”.

The court heard Amendolia never revealed who owned the weapon.

The police prosecutor said this weapon charge related to a sentence which occurred last where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges including supplying drugs and possessing drugs.

He pleaded guilty to one charge. Picture: Sam Turner

Mr Allen told the court the arresting officer only recently received a weapons certificate from the ballistics unit to confirm it was a category H firearm.

Duty lawyer Breanna Bowtell submitted for Amendolia to not receive an additional sentence due to the previous punishment for the same incident.

Mr Madsen told Amendolia no one was “going to cop” the explanation Amendolia gave police about the gun being a mate’s.

The magistrate then took the Maroochydore man back to a previous court sentence back in January last year, where he was released on parole for a police chase which involved the dangerous conduct of a weapon.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a weapon and was convicted. He was however not further punished.

Originally published as Bodhi Amendolia pleads guilty to possessing firearm found during drug raid