Mark Glassie was the vice-president of a chapter of the Rebels motorcycle gang. Photo / Supplied
Mark Glassie was the vice-president of a chapter of the Rebels motorcycle gang. Photo / Supplied
A vice-president of a North Island gang who used teens to help with his drug deals worked for a social services agency contracted by Oranga Tamariki.
Youths were used in the deals and were taught how to destroy evidence should the police come, court documents have revealed.
Mark Glassie isto be sentenced on Friday in the Rotorua District Court on a raft of charges following a major police drug operation centred around the Rebels motorcycle gang's wide scale drug dealing in the North Island.
Oranga Tamariki says it wasn't aware Glassie was a gang member as vetting processes were dealt with on a local level by contracted agencies. However, it says it has since tightened its protocols.
Documents released to the Rotorua Daily Post reveal Glassie was the vice-president of the gang chapter that was at the heart of millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine, MDMA, LSD and cannabis dealing.
Mark Glassie is to be sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on Friday. Photo / Andrew Warner
While Glassie was a central figure in the dealing, he also held down a job as a youth worker and caregiver for a social support agency. The name of the agency has been suppressed by the court. The agency is contracted by Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children.
Glassie's role within the organisation was to provide support, mentoring and role modelling for at-risk youth.
A summary of facts said Glassie's employment also saw him acting as a caregiver and youths were put into his custody by Oranga Tamariki via the agency. and this included them living at his home.
The investigation period ran between April and October 2019.
Some of the cash that was seized during Operation Ulysses. Photo / Supplied
The summary said Glassie took three youths on a drug deal to Auckland and they were used to pass messages between Glassie and co-offenders. In their vehicle was 22 pounds [9.98kg] of cannabis valued at $88,000.
The summary said they were also briefed on what to do should the police execute a search warrant, including destroying evidence.
Glassie has pleaded guilty to 29 charges including 10 charges of participating in an organised criminal group (five of which are violence-related), three of conspiring to bring a false accusation, four of possessing cannabis for supply, four of conspiring to pervert the cause of justice, one of offering to supply MDMA, one representative charge of supplying methamphetamine, one charge of offering to supply methamphetamine, one of supplying methamphetamine, one of offering to supply LSD, one of offering to supply MDMA and two of supplying LSD.
Operation Ulysses centred on the gang's involvement in supplying methamphetamine and numerous tracking and surveillance devices were used to keep track of the gang's activities.
The operation found Glassie and his co-offenders intended to accumulate money, assets and power through the wholesale sale of serious drugs.
Methamphetamine was being dealt by a youth worker high up in the Rebels gang. Photo / NZME
The summary of facts said Glassie had previously appeared before the court.
The Rotorua Daily Post asked several questions of both Oranga Tamariki and the agency that employed Glassie.
Oranga Tamariki partnering for outcomes deputy chief executive Rachel Jones said Oranga Tamariki was not aware Glassie was a gang member and only became aware on October 11, 2019, after his arrest.
When asked if it had any responsibility of employing someone with a clean criminal background, Jones said under the Social Services Accreditation standards, which all providers were approved to, it was the responsibility of the provider to ensure that regular vetting and background checks were carried out for all staff.
"The Social Services Accreditation agency periodically reviews an accredited provider's compliance with the standards including its policies designed to meet the standards.
"In this particular case the man's application was assessed by the provider and his employment was approved by them at the local level."
An internal investigation was finished the month after Glassie's arrest and an improvement plan was developed.
Jones said this included recommendations the provider changed its assessment documentation to ensure risk assessments for all staff were completed according to its employment policy.
She confirmed the agency was still contracted with Oranga Tamariki.
"Oranga Tamariki ensured that its recommendations regarding improvements to employee assessment documentation had been put into effect by the provider."
The Rotorua Daily Post approached the agency that employed Glassie for comment.
