Jail for underworld gun supplier
A Taupo¯ methamphetamine dealer who supplied firearms to the criminal underworld has been jailed for five years and four months.
Gordon Mark McRae, 34, received the sentence at Rotorua District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to a raft of gun and drugs charges including supplying firearms to unlicensed persons, possession of a pistol, conspiring to possess a firearm and supply of methamphetamine.
Before handing down his sentence, Judge Tony Snell accepted McRae’s own methamphetamine addiction and referred to his claim he had been ‘‘blinded by drugs’’.
He also told McRae about the seriousness of his firearms offending.
‘‘The risk of harm to our community, our law enforcement personnel is utterly obvious . . . I need you to understand there must be consequences of a significant nature,’’ he said.
‘‘A whole series of pistols are out there capable of inflicting serious harm to law enforcement people . . . and the general public. They are lost and we can only assume they are in use. I consider that is a huge aggravating factor, the whole safety of our community is put at risk with the distribution of firearms to the black market.’’
Across an eight-page summary of facts police detailed the simple way McRae was able to sidestep gun laws to supply the criminal underworld. He persuaded people who hold gun licences to purchase the firearms and hand them to him. He then on-sold them.
The police summary of facts revealed they became aware of McRae’s activities back in December 2020, launching Operation Venom with a successful application to the High Court for surveillance of McRae using tracking devices, and interception of his private communications.
‘‘The information obtained revealed that the defendant was also involved in the sale and supply of methamphetamine,’’ the summary said. ‘‘The defendant used his relationship with two associates who held their own firearm licences and convinced them to purchase firearms on his behalf.
‘‘The firearms that were acquired by the defendant were subsequently on sold on the black market and are now in the hands of unlicensed individuals involved in the criminal environment.’’
On one occasion in September 2020 a licence-holding associate visited Hamilton’s Gun City, spending $8977.99 cash to acquire five firearms and 1200 rounds of ammunition. It was a purchase that New Zealand Police Association President Chris Cahill later said should have set alarm bells ringing.
Those firearms were then handed over to McRae, who then on-sold them for cash or as part payment for ounces of methamphetamine to other nonlicensed people involved in the criminal environment. The defendant reassured his customers that the firearms were ‘‘brand new’’ and that they did not have to worry about what the firearms might have been used for previously.
The summary also included details of negotiations between McRae and a Rotorua-based Killer Beez gang member, with McRae offering to exchange a pistol and $3000 for an ounce of methamphetamine.
The gang member ended up rejecting the offer, however, because by his calculations he and the gang would have lost on the deal by $1200. On December 5 last year, McRae was able to exploit another associate’s addiction to methamphetamine to get him to acquire firearms on his behalf from Gun City in Auckland. He bought a shotgun, long barrelled revolver rifle and placed an order for five further firearms. However, after police intervention, Gun City told McRae’s associate the ordered firearms could not now be supplied.
‘‘This prompted a call between the defendant and [the associate] as to whether the police were investigating them or whether another associate of the defendant has contacted Gun City in an attempt to ‘f... him up’’’.
‘‘The defendant vowed revenge on this unknown person.’’
The summary also revealed the impact the Covid-19 restrictions had on the importation of methamphetamine into New Zealand, especially during the middle part of 2020. This led to a decrease in supply and thus an increase in price.
On February 10 this year police executed a search warrant at McRae’s address finding empty methamphetamine dealing bags, $1850 in cash, ‘‘cutting’’ agents for methamphetamine and a blankfiring pistol in his vehicle.
McRae initially told police he had played no role in the purchase of the Auckland firearms, but that he had provided just under $1000 to one associate to acquire a shotgun and rifle.