Bitcoin to buy drugs

A GEELONG photographer allegedly used Bitcoin to buy meth on the dark web before being caught asleep at the wheel of his parked car on Tuesday.

Joseph Lichstein, 28, appears to have “a rip-roaring drug habit”, magistrate Peter Mellas said after hearing police allegations against the man at a bail application later in the day.

Mr Mellas heard the Whittington man was arrested after tussling with police who tried to rouse him from an unconscious state beside Western Beach Rd.

Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kerrie Moroney said 29.9g of methylamphetamine was in a plastic bag that slipped from Mr Lichstein’s pocket when he tried to produce identification for officers.

Mr Mellas noted this was almost 10 times the trafficable quantity of the drug, and was told the man was carrying $525 cash and a phone containing a series of messages police claim indicate he is a drug seller.

The court heard it was the second time in four days, Mr Lichstein, who runs a photography business on Myers St, Geelong, had been caught dozing at the wheel of his parked car.

The man was slapped with a number of charges on Friday and released on a summons after allegedly being caught in similar circumstances while possessing cocaine, meth, prescription pills and $750 cash.

The court was told Mr Lichstein lived with his mother, a nurse and trained drug and alcohol counsellor, but had been hiding his half-a-gram-perweek ice habit from her.

The woman was not in court to verify these claims, but Mr Mellas agreed to adjourn the accused man’s bail application until today so she could vouch for him. He indicated it would be an uphill battle to get bail.

Mr Lichstein faces a string of drugs charges, including trafficking allegations, and is also accused of resisting police arrest.