LAVINGTON painter Jason John Pertzel seemed to have a nice little earner on the side with his cannabis trade from home, a court was told yesterday.
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He supplied an ounce (28 grams) of cannabis with a street value of $280 to many people.
Little did he know drug squad police in Albury were running Operation Metry and had received approval for phone intercepts on him.
The extent of his drug supplying was revealed in 2000 calls and Pertzel was arrested at his Kaitlers Road residence on September 24, 2012.
He had a tin with two grams and a metal pipe in his clothing, three grams were found in a back yard shed and a 10-litre paint tin hidden on a shelf in his bedroom had seven to eight ounces of cannabis.
It was claimed that large amount has been given to him a few days earlier and was for his personal use, along with supplying friends and relatives when they contacted him by phone.
When police interviewed Pertzel, they asked about the people who regularly visited his unit.
He admitted supplying them with cannabis, but claimed that he did not take any money for the transactions.
Pertzel, 41, pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court yesterday to 10 drug-related charges and another 62 were withdrawn by police.
The case had been listed for a defended hearing.
Magistrate Megan Greenwood was told in tendered police facts that one man had visited Pertzel’s residence 10 times between July 27 and September 27, getting an ounce of the drug each time.
Another man obtained an ounce on each of the three times he attended.
A woman got a total of three ounces and another man obtained a total of seven ounces with several trips to Pertzel’s unit.
That man was monitored asking for a quote on “a big one” which police believed was a pound of cannabis.
Pertzel said the price was $3600 and he was unable to get hold of it any cheaper or immediately.
The man said he was looking for four or five which was being sought by someone in another town.
Solicitor James Sloan said Pertzel has two prior convictions for drug possession matters.
But Mr Sloan said, as part of Pertzel’s bail conditions, he had been successfully treated for cannabis withdrawal.
Ms Greenwood adjourned sentencing until March 18 and ordered a pre-sentence report, indicating that community service was a possible sentencing option.