Man imported cocaine as pickmeup
WITH Christmas around the corner, John James McCormick wanted something to pep him up so he could put on a sprightly front for his family over the holidays.
He ordered some cocaine from the dark web.
The 34yearold appeared in the Dunedin District Court for sentencing on a charge of importing the class A drug — which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment — and one of importing a class B.
If he had had the illicit substances brought into the country with plans for distribution, he would undoubtedly be facing a prison term, Judge Michael Crosbie said.
But the judge recognised McCormick’s situation was ‘‘somewhat unique’’.
Counsel Andrew Dawson provided evidence to the court of his client’s medical issues which included: lupus, anxiety and restlessleg syndrome.
At a previous hearing, he said
McCormick had been the subject of several sleep studies, which recorded awakenings throughout the night and a ‘‘highlyfragmented sleep pattern’’.
‘‘He’s chronically tired,’’ Mr Dawson said.
He said the defendant wanted something to temporarily alleviate his fatigue and ‘‘allow him to take part more fully in what his family were doing over the holidays’’.
But the illegal pickmeups never arrived.
In midNovember, McCormick accessed the dark web and used bitcoins to the value of $60 to buy a cocaine ‘‘sample’’.
He had the package sent under a fictitious name to his workplace — a motel where he manned the front desk.
The supplier told him the drugs would be sent from Argentina and would arrive in 28 to 48 days.
McCormick began monitoring the incoming mail at work.
Meanwhile, he had a small amount of bitcoins, worth $10, left over in his online account.
After browsing the same shady websites, he settled on a sample of amphetamine.
On December 14, Customs staff intercepted a package containing 1.6g of cocaine and five days later found 12g of amphetamine hidden in tea bags addressed to the same location.
McCormick admitted his guilt when approached by police.
‘‘Clearly from the way you went about this it was relatively easy to do; blatantly stupid but relatively easy to do,’’ Judge Crosbie said.
‘‘Really then you ran the gauntlet hoping Customs would not pick it up.’’
He believed McCormick, who had a wife and child, was an intelligent man who had made a ‘‘grave error’’. The only explanation for his actions, he said, was that McCormick was at his wits’ end over his ill health.
Judge Crosbie imposed a sentence of eight months’ home detention but said the case was the exception rather than the rule.
‘‘It’s not a message to the local community that a judge will impose home detention for importing drugs.’’