Sentencing for Mongrel Mob Kawerau president Frank Milosevic, his son Slobodan and their partners and three others will take place in the Tauranga District Court in February. Photo / File
A jury has found seven people, including the Mongrel Mob Kawerau president, guilty of a raft of drug-dealing charges involving tens of thousands of dollars of P and cannabis.
Mongrel Mob Kawerau president Frank Amadeus Milosevic, 52, his sons, Slobodan Rahorei Milosevic, 30, and Te Oherere Lucky Boy Milosevic, 28, were among the eight defendants on trial in the Hamilton District Court over the past eight weeks.
Also on trial were Frank Milosevic's partner, Irene Raki, and Slobodan's partner, Raiha Tawera, along with Starlight Whitumarama Manuel, 36, from Whakatāne, Keith Pryor, 48, from Paengaroa, and Lawrence Te Kira, 47, from Gisborne.
The 66 Crown charges stemmed from a six-month covert police investigation named Operation Notus focused on the Mongrel Mob Kawerau chapter and their associates.
The jury delivered its verdicts in relation to 55 charges on November 13, while there were guilty pleas to five charges and three other charges were dismissed during the trial.
Frank Milosevic and his son Slobodan, also a patched Mongrel Mob member, were found guilty of joint charges of cannabis cultivation, possession of methamphetamine (P) for supply, supplying P and conspiring to supply this drug.
The conspiring to supply methamphetamine charge related to the pair being overheard discussing sourcing 10 ounces of P which they planned to sell to customers for $50,000.
The pair were acquitted of a further cannabis cultivation charge.
He and partner Irene Raki were also found guilty of two money-laundering charges which relate to 46 cash deposits into accounts they controlled and also large cash purchases.
The purchases made between 2015 and 2018 included a $43,000 van, a $90,000 Ford Raptor and a $23,000 Harley Davidson.
Frank Milosevic was also found guilty of nine cannabis-dealing charges, which included six charges of selling the drug, possession for sale and offering to sell cannabis.
This included selling large quantities of cannabis to Keith Pryor and Starlight Manuel.
He was acquitted of further three cannabis and P dealing charges.
Slobodan Milosevic was also found guilty of five separate charges of supplying P, and one charge each of offering to supply P and conspiring to supply methamphetamine.
This included supplying significant amounts of P on at least 80 separate occasions and offering to supply the drug on another 14 occasions.
He and partner Raiha Tawera were also found guilty of three joint charges of engaging in tens of thousands of dollars worth of money-laundering transactions.
This included electronic bank payments totalling $54,000 and $104,894 cash deposits made into another person's bank account and also a raft of cash purchases mostly related to renovations to the couple's Kawerau home.
Slobodan was also found guilty of five representative cannabis-dealing charges, including three of selling cannabis to others on multiple occasions.
Pryor was found guilty of six cannabis and P-dealing charges. That is, selling cannabis, offering to sell cannabis, possession of cannabis for sale, and supplying methamphetamine, possession for supply and offering to supply the drug.
The charges include selling in excess of 12.6 pounds (5.7kg) of cannabis and offering to sell cannabis on 23 occasions in Whakatāne or elsewhere in New Zealand in 2017.
Starlight Whitumarama Manuel, 36, from Whakatāne who the jury heard was known as "Star Dog" to his associates, was found guilty in relation to 10 charges. That is, four charges of possession of cannabis for sale, one each of selling cannabis, conspires to sell cannabis, possession of P for supply and offering to supply the drug.
Manuel's charges include him supplying not less than 21g of P, and also supplied 2.196kg of cannabis, and being caught in possession of another 42g of P.
He also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a .308 Weatherby rifle, multiple rounds of ammunition and a knife, plus possession of P utensils during the trial.
Te Kira was found guilty of two charges of offering to supply methamphetamine to Slobodan Milosevic and one of supplying him with the drug,
He was also found guilty of possession of 3.83g of P for supply when arrested.
Te Oherere Milosevic, who pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of firearms during the trial, received a fine and he was acquitted of a cannabis-cultivation charge. A charge of unlawful possession of ammunition was dismissed.
Judge Paul Mabey, QC, remanded Frank and Slobodan Milosevic, Pryor, Te Kira and Manuel in custody and Raki and Tawera on bail pending sentencing on February 11 and 12.
Three further charges will be withdrawn at the sentencing hearing.
Frank Milosevic:
Cultivation of cannabis (joint charge)
Possession of P for supply (2 joint charges)
Supply methamphetamine (joint charge)
Supply methamphetamine
Conspired to supply P (joint charge)
Sell cannabis ( 6 charges)
Offer to sell cannabis
Conspired to sell cannabis
Possession of cannabis for sale
Irene Raki and Frank Milosevic:
2 charges of money laundering
Slobodan Milosevic:
Cultivates cannabis (joint charge)
Possession of P for supply (joint charge)
Supply P (five charges)
Offer to supply P
Conspired to supply P (joint charge)
Possession of cannabis for sale
Sell cannabis (3 charges)
Offer to sell cannabis (2 charges)
Raiha Tawera and Slobodan Milosevic:
3 joint charges of money laundering
Starlight Manuel:
Offers to supply methamphetamine
Possession cannabis for sale (3 charges)
Sell cannabis
Offer to sell cannabis (two charges)
Conspired to sell cannabis
Offer to supply methamphetamine
Possession of P for supply.
Unlawful possession of a firearm and a knife
Unlawful possession 278 rounds of ammunition.
Keith Pryor:
Joint charges of:
Sells cannabis
Offer to sell cannabis
Possession of cannabis for sale
Offer to supply P
Supply methamphetamine
Possession of P for supply
Lawrence Te Kira:
2 charges of supplying P
Offer to supply P
Possession of P for supply