A Canberra father who let his son deal tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs from their family home in Calwell has avoided jail, claiming ignorance of the quantities of drugs involved and saying that his attempts to stop the teenager's dealing were mediocre.
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Corey Conomos, 19, was a low-level dealer in a syndicate operated by 28-year-old Brendan Baker, a former cafe owner who once flaunted his ill-gotten wealth on social media and now faces a lengthy stint in jail after a jury found him guilty of serious drug crimes last month.
Corey Conomos' offending came undone when police raided the Calwell home he shared with his father in January 2017. Officers seized more than two kilograms of cannabis, 300 grams of methylamphetamine, scales, clip seal bags, acetone, face masks and coffee filters and $18,000 cash.
He owed Baker some $60,000 after the raid and was later charged with multiple drug trafficking offences.
Corey Conomos' father, Jason Conomos, 38, was also charged with being knowingly concerned with trafficking methylamphetamine and cannabis, offences which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years' jail.
His crimes were, according to an agreed statement of facts, making the home available for his son to store and hide drugs, and allowing the teenager to use the home to deal drugs.
Jason Conomos pleaded guilty earlier this year.
He agreed with the statement of facts, court documents say, but said he had been unaware of the quantities of drugs involved. He described his attempts to stop the offences as mediocre and said that he should have been more insistent.
He had no criminal history.
On Tuesday in the ACT Supreme Court, Chief Justice Helen Murrell jailed the father for 21 months, but imposed an intensive corrections order that will mean he serves his time in the community.
Any breaches of the conditions attached could see the elder Conomos put behind bars.
Bail conditions have prevented him contacting his son for more than a year.
Corey Conomos has also pleaded guilty to trafficking cannabis, methylamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine and possessing a prohibited weapon, and is due before court in July for sentence following a deferred sentence order earlier this year.
Baker will be sentenced at a later date.
