Mongrel Mob Kawerau members and their associate have been jailed on drug dealing charges. Photo / Supplied
The president of the Mongrel Mob Kawerau chapter and his son have received jail time totalling more than three decades for drug-dealing involving tens of thousands of dollars.
Frank Amadeus Milosevic, 52, and his son, Slobodan Rahorei Milosevic, 30, were sentenced in the Tauranga District Court today on a total of 34 charges.
That included cannabis cultivation involving at least 400 plants and possession of about 2.4kg of methamphetamine.
The charges stemmed from a six-month covert police investigation named Operation Notus in 2017 and 2018 focused on the activities of the Mongrel Mob Kawerau chapter and its associates.
It resulted in multiple arrests, some of those charged have already been sentenced.
Judge Paul Mabey QC sentenced Frank Milosevic to 17-and-half years' prison with a minimum non-parole period of eight years and 9 months.
His son Slobodan Rahorei Milosevic was sentenced to 15 years and 9 months' prison, with a minimum non-parole period of seven years and 10 months.
A third drug dealing offender Keith Pryor, 48, from Paengaroa, also received a prison sentence.
The trio were found guilty on a raft of charges at their jury trials in November in the Hamilton District Court.
Frank Milosevic was sentenced on joint charges of cannabis cultivation, possession of methamphetamine (P) for supply, supplying P, conspiring to supply the drug, as well as money-laundering charges.
Crown solicitor Richard Jenson argued that Frank Milosevic's prison sentence should start at 17 years for the methamphetamine offending alone with uplifts for the other charges.
Jenson also said a minimum non-parole period of 10 years was appropriate given the offender maintained his denials to the charges and lacked insight into his crimes.
But Frank Milosevic's lawyer Bill Nabney argued the Crown's minimum non-parole period was too high and there should be no penalty for money-laundering charges because there was no third party involved.
Judge Mabey agreed a 10-year non-parole period was too high.
He told Frank Milosevic it was clear he and his son were both leaders in terms of their "substantial drug-dealing enterprise" in Kawerau.
"By anyone's language, your dealing of these pernicious drugs must have had an adverse effect on this improvised community, many of whom could ill-afford to buy the drugs."
Judge Mabey also said that it was clear from trial evidence that Frank Milosevic was "a serious criminal" whose only motivation was to make large sums of money.
The judge said given the mana Frank Milosevic held within the gang and in the eyes of some community members he had seriously "abused his position of privilege".
Judge Mabey said claims made by Frank Milosevic at his trial that he, his son and their associates had been running a legitimate hunting business and sold the meat to earn money was "fanciful".
Judge Mabey said the minimum parole period imposed was justified to hold him responsible for the serious harm caused and to deter him and others from like offending.
Slobodan, also a patched Mongrel Mob member and his father's right-hand man in their drug enterprise, was sentenced on 18 drug-dealing and money laundering charges.
His lawyer Roger Gowing submitted that because his client was a first-time offender before the court he should be given a discount for previous good character and a 15 per cent discount for his prospects to rehabilitate himself.
Gowing also argued the Crown's minimum non-parole period and uplifts to reflect cannabis and money laundering charges were excessive when compared to other drug-dealing cases.
Crown prosecutor Jenson argued the defendant had shown a "total lack of insight" into his crimes and said he would appeal the convictions.
Judge Mabey told Slobodan Milosevic he was clearly acting with his father to run a well-organised drug distribution and dealing business.
The claims made by his father at his trial about the drug dealing being innocent legal pursuits were rejected by him and the jury, he said.
"You are clearly an intelligent, resourceful man with a strong work ethic. If you and your father had engaged in a legitimate business I'm sure you would succeed."
Judge Mabey took into account that Slobodan Milosevic had no prior convictions but said there was no basis to consider other personal mitigating factors.
Keith Pryor was jailed for six years and nine months in relation to six cannabis and P-dealing charges, four of which were joint charges.
His lawyer Moana Dorset urged Judge Mabey to consider her client had taken rehabilitation steps while waiting for his trial and was remorseful for his offending.
She also asked the judge to take into account Pryor's health issues and that he only became embroiled in the drug dealing scene for a limited time.
Judge Mabey said he accepted Pryor may be remorseful but he had also tried to shift the blame on to a co-defendant in relation to four of the charges.
The judge gave him a small discount for his remorse letter and some personal factors outlined in his cultural report.
Frank Milosevic
- Joint charges of cannabis cultivation, possession of methamphetamine (P) for supply, supplying P and conspiring to supply the drug
- Two joint money-laundering charges involving about $260,000 which stemmed from 46 cash deposits made into bank accounts controlled by him and his partner Irene Raki
- He and his partner also made large cash purchases between 2015 and 2018 including a $43,000 van, a $90,000 Ford Raptor and a $23,000 Harley Davidson
- Found guilty of nine other cannabis-dealing charges, including six charges of selling the drug, possession for sale and offering to sell cannabis
Slobodan Rahorei Milosevic
- 18 drug-dealing and money laundering charges
- Joint charges of cannabis cultivation, possession of methamphetamine (P) for supply, supplying P and conspiring to supply the drug
- Found guilty of five separate charges of supplying P
- One charge of offering to supply significant amounts of P on at least 80 separate occasions and offering to supply the drug on another 14 times
- Found guilty of three joint charges of engaging in money-laundering transactions involving about $230,000 with partner Raiha Tawera
- This included electronic bank payments totalling $54,000 and $104,894 cash deposits and a raft of cash purchases mostly related to home renovations
- Found guilty of five representative cannabis-dealing charges, including three of selling cannabis on multiple occasions
Keith Pryor
- Jailed for six years and nine months in prison
- Six cannabis and P-dealing charges, four of which were joint charges
The jury's marathon deliberations ran for two weeks.