John Waterworth was a popular man, police bugging his phone calls in winter last year discovered.
Among those beating a path to his door in the CityLife apartment block in Queen St were personalities and prominent businesspeople.
Between June 20 and July 19, according to the police summary of facts,
Waterworth took a number of phone calls from people seeking cocaine. One said his female client was "hanging out" for it.
But Waterworth could not supply; the next shipment was 3 weeks away, he told prospective buyers. What he could give them was Ecstasy at $60 to $65 a tablet - a 100 per cent markup on the price he paid Adamu Shazizi Awahdi.
Conversation was guarded: drugs were referred to as "bottles of champagne", "biscuits", "red Smurfs" or "vintage bottles of wine".
Clients turned up at his apartment with well-known friends and talk would turn to the "hellish" effects of various drugs. Among the visitors: property developer David Henderson, league star-turned TV personality Brent Todd, former All Blacks Marc Ellis and Josh Kronfeld and financial high-flyers.
On July 14 police watched a meeting between Waterworth and Awadhi behind the New World supermarket in Freemans Bay.
Shortly after, the drug squad raided Waterworth's apartment and found 400 Ecstasy tablets which Awahdi had supplied. They found a methamphetamine "users' kit", glass smoking pipe and other paraphernalia.
Over the month-long interception period, Waterworth bought 1156 Ecstasy tablets from Awahdi, paying $34,680, by police estimates.
Waterworth pleaded guilty in the High Court at Auckland this week to 16 counts of supplying cocaine, Ecstasy and methamphetamine.
Awahdi also pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying Ecstasy and a charge of conspiring to supply. Both were remanded in custody for sentencing next month.
Todd pleaded guilty on Wednesday in the Auckland District Court to a charge of procuring cocaine, with another person, from Waterworth. He was fined $500.
Ellis was convicted and fined $300 in August last year for possessing five Ecstasy pills.
David Henderson was convicted and given a suspended sentence last September for attempting to buy cocaine.
Kronfeld's name cropped up at Waterworth's depositions hearing in February when police played a tape of bugged conversations which implicated another celebrity as a hard drug user. Kronfeld was not charged with any offence.
Others snared in Operation Aqua:
* Financial analyst Elliot John Worrall pleaded guilty to possession of Ecstasy and was fined $350.
* His brother Marcus James Worrall pleaded guilty in the Queenstown District Court, to procuring Ecstasy and was fined $250.
* James Ross Stevenson, a 39-year-old businessman from Freemans Bay, was fined $300 for possessing Ecstasy.
* Phillip James Clark, Auckland Euro Bar manager, was fined $250 after admitting attempting to procure cocaine.
* A further three men are before the courts.
Marc Ellis was a visitor to Waterworth's apartment. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey
John Waterworth was a popular man, police bugging his phone calls in winter last year discovered.
Among those beating a path to his door in the CityLife apartment block in Queen St were personalities and prominent businesspeople.
Between June 20 and July 19, according to the police summary of facts,
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