A Melbourne man has been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four years and nine months, for a range of offences including possessing an unregistered loaded firearm and drug trafficking.
The man, 33, was sentenced today (4 February, 2025) by the County Court of Victoria after earlier pleading guilty to five charges.
The AFP executed a search warrant at the man's home on 23 June, 2023. Officers located a handgun concealed within an ottoman in a children's playroom, about 2.5kg of cocaine, about 700 grams of MDMA, more than $200,000 cash, and electronic devices.
The man, allegedly linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG), was charged with, and later pleaded guilty to:
- One count of trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, namely cocaine, contrary to section 302.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, namely MDMA, contrary to section 302.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of dealing in money, being $100,000 or more, reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime, contrary to section 400.9(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of possess an unregistered general category handgun, contrary to section 7B of the Firearms Act 1996 (Vic); and
- One count of fail to comply with an order under sub-section 3LA(2) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), contrary to sub-section 3LA(5) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth).
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Rick Briggs said the AFP was committed to protecting the community by removing firearms and illicit drugs from the hands of criminals.
"AFP officers discovered this illegal loaded firearm in a room where children played, which is disturbing to say the least," Det a/Supt Briggs said.
"This could have been a very different and tragic outcome if a child had found it.
"The seizure of the money also prevents the bankrolling of further illegal activity and makes crime less financially lucrative."
