A former Canberra cafe owner who flaunted his wealth on social media was found guilty of attempting to import and trafficking a variety of drugs on Tuesday.
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The jury returned its verdict in the trial of Brendan Leigh Baker, 27, in the ACT Supreme Court, finding him guilty of 11 charges.
The most serious charge, attempting to import a commercial quantity of Methylone, carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Methylone is a synthetic form of the drug MDMA.
The central evidence in the case against Baker was the testimony of a former drug dealer turned police informant who had worked with Baker.
The man gave days of detailed evidence of the operation co-ordinated by Baker, which the informant carried out.
He said Baker had approached him based on his reputation as a drug dealer and offered to supply him drugs at a cheaper price.
The men went into business together and trafficked cannabis, MDMA, methamphetamine and cocaine during 2016 and 2017.
The man provided details of the operation, including that Baker bought drugs off the dark web using Bitcoin and packages of drugs arrived in a pink Barbie lunchbox.
According to the man, Baker progressed from dealing drugs to importing them which he told the man he had achieved by hiding them in PVC pipes.
Baker also told the informant that one shipment of drugs never arrived as the Chinese supplier had blown himself up.
After a stint in jail for blackmail the man began working for the police and provided information against Baker.
Defence barrister Astrid Haban-Beer told the jury the man's evidence should not be believed as he was inventing a story to spare himself from prison.
The jury also heard evidence that Baker's lavish lifestyle, which he documented in great detail on social media, could not be explained by his legally reported income.
Pictures of his Mercedes AMG sports car littered Baker's Facebook page alongside a video he posted of him gifting his grandmother a BMW.
Posts indicated Baker had taken spontaneous holidays and discussed plans to build a six-bedroom house on a large block of land in Taylor.
He also purchased a cafe on the Kingston Foreshore.
Many of his posts discussed his commitment to hard work as an explanation of his lifestyle. It was the prosecutions assertion it stemmed from trafficking drugs.
Ms Haban-Beer said Baker had tried to make himself seem more impressive on social media and he should not be convicted for being part of the selfie generation.
Dressed in a three-piece suit, Baker sat in the dock flanked by Corrections officers and shook his head as the 11 guilty verdicts were calmly read out by the jury foreman.
The 11 charges included two counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime.
The jury could not agree on one charge against Baker, of importing a commercial quantity of drugs, and Justice John Burns discharged it from providing a verdict on that particular charge.
The prosecution will now consider its options in regards to that charge and determine whether to prosecute Baker again.
Justice Burns ordered a pre-sentence report. Baker remains in custody and is due to receive his sentence in August.