Press "Enter" to skip to content

$51,000 of drugs and a gun sold to undercover cops

A Shepparton man who police say is a member of a drug trafficking syndicate associated with an outlaw motorcycle gang, has been jailed for four months for his part in the sale of $51,100 worth of drugs and a gun to undercover police.

Pancrazio Mazza, 30, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to two counts of trafficking cocaine, being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, being a prohibited person possessing an imitation firearm, possessing a prohibited weapon and two counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Brent O’Grady told the court Mazza was a member of a drug trafficking syndicate associated with the Mongols Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

The court heard Mazza and two other men went to Seymour on June 21, where 83.8 grams of cocaine was sold to undercover police officers by one of the other men for $21,900.

The same man allegedly sold the undercover police a sawn-off double-barrel shotgun for $4500 the same day.

At the time Mazza was a “prohibited person” under the Firearms Act and was not allowed to possess or carry a firearm.

The court heard that on July 4, Mazza, the two men from the June 21 incident and a third man again travelled to Seymour to sell drugs to undercover police.

The same man that had sold the drugs to police on June 21, had again organised the sale of 112.1g of cocaine for $29,200 to the undercover police, Leading Sen Constable O’Grady said.

Twenty-three days later, police found a shotgun, three boxes of 12-gauge ammunition, knuckle dusters, scales and zip lock bags in Mazza’s bedroom at the Shepparton house he shared with the fourth man, who was at the July 4 drug sale, Leading Sen Constable O’Grady said.

A gel blaster imitation firearm was also found in a wardrobe of a common area at the house and a 12-gauge shotgun shell was found in the loungeroom.

Magistrate David Faram sentenced Mazza to four months in jail, with the 83 days as pre-sentenced detention reckoned as time already served.

He also ordered that Mazza, a dual Australian and Italian citizen, be placed on a two-year community corrections order which will include assessment and treatment for drug abuse and dependency.

While handing down his sentence, Mr Faram said he accepted defence submissions that while Mazza was involved with the sale of the drugs and gun he was not “the principal offender”, but said he was a “contributor to the trafficking of drugs and the firearms offences.”

“You were a willing party. You drove to Seymour on two occasions for the sale of drugs and a firearm,” Mr Faram said.

He also noted the fact Mazza came before the court with no prior criminal convictions at the age of 30.

“This is a significant opportunity being provided to you today,” Mr Faram said.