Man jailed for nine months over drug trafficking charges

A man has been jailed for nine months on charges including five of trafficking drugs.

Jonathan Kanter, 51, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to 12 charges, including two counts of trafficking methamphetamines, and single charges of trafficking amphetamines, cannabis and GHB.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis, GHB and an unspecified drug of dependence, as well as two counts of dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime, using methamphetamines and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

The court heard police searched a Shepparton house Kanter was at on April 29 and found 126.01 g of cannabis, 25 ml of GHB, 5.8 g of methamphetamine and 4.13 g of a white-brown powder police believe may have been MDMA.

Kanter also had $3650 in a brown pouch and $510 in his wallet.

The court heard police also found notebooks containing drug trafficking notes, ziplock bags and scales.

Messages on Kanter’s phone also revealed supporting evidence of drug trafficking.

In a separate incident on April 5, police said they spoke to Kanter in a Shepparton car park after he had just had “a hit”.

They also found $2820 in his wallet and methamphetamines. He also had $260 cash in his pocket.

A review of Kanter’s phone found hundreds of messages between Kanter and other people believed to be related to drug trafficking.

Kanter told police at the time the money in his wallet was from wins on the pokies.

In sentencing Kanter to nine months in prison, magistrate David Faram said Kanter had criminal priors for similar offending in 2019 where he was put on a community corrections order, with which he had not complied.

“You have continued to commit trafficking offences in the Shepparton area,” Mr Faram said.

While the defence had told the court Kanter’s drug activity was to support his own habit, Mr Faram said he was “not entirely convinced that is the truth”.

“You have been living a drugusing lifestyle for a number of years and you have simultaneously been trafficking,” he said.

“This is serious offending. Our community is hugely aware of the grief occasioned to others by trafficking.”

Mr Faram ruled that the 98 days of pre-sentence detention would count as time already served on Kanter’s sentence.

As Kanter was from the United States, Mr Faram said the Department of Foreign Affairs could have him deported after he completed his prison sentence.