A TAMWORTH man caught in an undercover police sting has pleaded guilty to supplying a commercial quantity of the drug ice and now faces life behind bars.
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Ben Woodard admitted to his offending in Tamworth Local Court more than a year after he was caught by Oxley police in an elaborate operation that saw officers track his every move.
Woodard, who was led into the dock by Corrective Services officers, smiled at family seated in the court as Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor Alex Floyd told the court he was entering guilty pleas to three of the charges before the court.
It will be a committal for sentence [to the district court], he said.
He pleaded guilty to supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug, namely methylamphetamine, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and acquiring a pistol from a supplier not authorised to possess it.
The remainder of the sequences are to be withdrawn, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) solicitor Ellen Tiedeman told the court, adding Woodard would be required to formally enter pleas at an arraignment next year in the district court.
Thirteen charges were marked withdrawn and dismissed by magistrate Julie Soars.
You are committed for sentence to the district court for the first arraignment, she told Woodard.
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Bail not applied for refused on that matter."
A separate unrelated offence of break-and-enter laid by police from the Central West was also adjourned.
Woodard was charged with dealing in more than $200,000 in cash that investigators claimed was the proceeds of crime, and supplying more than 1.1kg of the drug, ice.
In 2015, the state upped the maximum penalty of supplying more than 500g of the drug ice to life behind bars.
Woodard was the main target of Strike Force Delaney a police operation set-up by Oxley rural crime officers and the Target Action Group (TAG) to investigate ice supply in the Tamworth and Woolomin area, and out to Coonamble.
Woodard has been in custody since he was arrested in a sting on September 10, last year.
The Leader revealed the investigation after raids on the same day in Tamworth, Woolomin and Coonamble which saw drugs, cash, phones and other goods seized.
Meanwhile, one of the men charged as part of the same police operation will fight a gun supply charge at trial.
Travis James Wilson appeared in Tamworth District Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to supplying Ben Woodard with a .44 magnum prohibited firearm between May 1 and June 30 last year.
The four-day trial has been set down for September next year.
He remains on conditional bail.