A Shepparton man is charged with selling $88,000 worth of methamphetamines and $2000 worth of GHB, a court has heard.
Michael Joseph Loscavo, 30, applied for bail in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court.
He is facing 65 charges, including three counts of trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamines, 15 of trafficking methamphetamines and three of trafficking the drug GHB.
He is also facing 16 counts of possessing methamphetamines, two counts of possessing GHB, 22 counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail, theft of $3500 from police, possessing a firearm while a prohibited person, possessing a schedule four poison, and refusing access to his mobile phone data storage.
Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Lance Wiltshire told the court Mr Loscavo was arrested as part of a major drug investigation run by police since April 22, which included him selling drugs to undercover police officers on several occasions.
The court was told that on August 11 Mr Loscavo bought 14g of methamphetamines and then trafficked half of it to two undercover police officers for $1600 after they organised a sale with a female associate of his.
On August 30, Mr Loscarvo sold 7g of methamphetamines to the undercover police for $1800 after they contacted his female associate to arrange the sale, Det Sen Constable Wiltshire said.
The court heard that on September 16, the undercover police again contacted the female associate, who organised 28g of methamphetamines for Mr Loscavo to sell to them for $6000.
Police allege Mr Loscavo sold the police the drugs, but also purchased another 112g of methamphetamines from an associate at the same time.
On September 23, Mr Loscavo sold the undercover police 56g of methamphetamines for $11,400, the court heard.
On October 4, the undercover police contacted Mr Loscavo asking to buy 196g of methamphetamines for $31,000.
The court heard Mr Loscavo met the undercover police later that day and when they handed him the cash to count, he stole $3500 of it before handing it back, saying the drugs were not ready to be collected.
Mr Loscavo never contacted the undercover police again and stopped using his mobile phone number, the court heard.
Police allege on several occasions, between August 17 and September 29, Mr Loscarvo and his female associate phoned or texted each other to buy methamphetamines or GHB from each other and organise sales.
There were also messages about other drug sales to another associate, as well as a discussion between the two men where Mr Loscavo agreed to sell the man a pump-action “Rosco” firearm, but police are unsure if this sale ever took place, Det Sen Constable Wiltshire said.
Police say that when they searched Mr Loscavo’s house on October 30, they found a Viagra tablet and a small amount of methamphetamines in his bedroom.
Mr Loscavo’s solicitor Anthony Coote asked for bail for his client, saying he had strong ties to the area, was not a flight risk and was a carer for his father.
He also said there would be long delays before the matter would go for trial.
Mr Coote also said Mr Loscavo’s mother could offer a $5000 surety.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Luke Lund, however, argued the surety was not high enough, as some of the drugs sales he was charged with involved amounts that were double that.
Reserve magistrate John Doherty agreed with the prosecutor, saying he would bail Mr Loscavo only if a $100,000 surety was paid.
“Despite his limited priors, I think there’s an incentive for him not to come to court,” Mr Doherty said when setting the higher surety.
Other bail conditions would include that he report daily to police, live in Shepparton, not leave Victoria or Australia, not associate with his co-accused, abide by a night-time curfew, not use drugs, and comply with the court integrated services program.