Carmel Ann Joseph sentenced for drug trafficking, fake cleaning business
L A Cairns drug dealer tried to claim almost $100,000 in refunds for a cleaning business that did not exist, a court has heard.
Carmel Ann Joseph, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a dangerous drug, one count possessing a dangerous drug in excess of 2.0 grams, two counts possessing a dangerous drug, and one count of trafficking a dangerous drug in Cairns Supreme Court last week.
State prosecutor Shauna Farrelly told the court Ms Joseph was 49 at the time of her offending and had a criminal history which included drug offending and a five and half year jail sentence for fraud in the “vicinity of $193,000 over a significant period of time” while she worked at Cash Converters.
Ms Farrelly said Ms Joseph was arrested in January 2022 when police launched an operation targeting drug dealers in Cairns.
This involved phone intercepts which identified the defendant and her co-offender and partner Jason Chalk who entered a guilty plea to trafficking and supply drug charges last Thursday.
“Investigations revealed the defendant carried on the business of trafficking methylamphetamine for a period lasting eight months and six days,” Ms Farrelly said.
Police executed a search warrant on the defendant’s hotel room which uncovered five clip seal bags totalling 2.71 grams of meth, 1.139 grams of GHB, a box of diazepam, a large number of stolen bank and identification cards in multiple peoples names, scales and drug paraphernalia.
Ms Farrelly told the court, at the height of the trafficking, Ms Joseph, Mr Chalk and another person drove to the Walsh River where they exchanged meth for $12,500.
Justice Jim Henry said Ms Joseph was a mature woman living a “down and out existence”, in the company of those involved in the “drug milieu”.
Ms Joseph also pleaded guilty to Commonwealth fraud charges after she made false GST declarations for a fake cleaning business.
She was charged with one count of fraud and four counts of attempted fraud.
Commonwealth Prosecutor Dean Priest told the court Ms Joseph created an ABN in 2021 and registered for goods and services tax in 2022 and made a number of false declarations.
“In total the defendant claimed $26,299 and attempted to obtain a further $72,162,” Mr Priest said.
Mr Priest said in the early stages of the investigation Ms Joseph was in contact with the ATO who advised they believed she was not carrying out a business and she continued to lodge further claims.
In an interview on the day of her arrest, Ms Joseph said she was told how to make the claims and she wanted to start a housekeeping business and her plan was to use the money as a “business loan” to buy equipment like vacuum cleaners.
Defence Counsel Tim Grau told the court Ms Joseph had a prejudicial background of abuse which had a significant impact on her life characterised by her offending, substance abuse, and abusive relationships.
He told the court her on again off again relationship with Mr Chalk was “domestically violent”.
Mr Grau said the money from the fraud committed in 2010-2011 was used to “assist in funding the household”.
He also said the more recent tax offending was an attempt to “get out of the industry” by funding purchases for a legitimate business that never occurred.
Ms Joseph was sentenced to five years prison for the trafficking offence, and two years prison on the Commonwealth charges.
She was released from custody with time served on parole with probation.
Mr Chalk will be sentenced on October 14.