A Wagga man has been jailed for supplying ice after a police strike force intercepted phone conversations and conducted a covert surveillance operation.
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Jacob James Bolton, 22, appeared in Wagga Local Court video link on Monday after he pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying prohibited drugs and recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime.
Bolton, then aged 21, was arrested in May last year after police seized cash and drugs during a raid.
Documents tendered to the court revealed text message exchanges with buyers using code words to signal what they wanted, such as hamburger or a happy birthday.
This means a half ball, or 1.75 grams, of prohibited drugs.
In one instance, officers conducting physical surveillance in a park observed Bolton meeting with a woman in a vehicle in the car park.
Bolton supplied her with "3p" or 0.3 g of a prohibited drug and $100 in cash in exchange for an Apple iPhone.
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In another text chain, a man asked, "can you f---king do me 3 for 100 and leave it weighed up somewhere in the shed I can pick up in the morning and leave ya some coin".
Bolton then supplied 0.3 grams of drugs to that man for $100.
His solicitor Zac Tankard said Bolton was a "young man" who pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity.
"He comes from a farm in Narrandera, from a farming family," Mr Tankard said.
"He is the eldest of four boys and the only one in the family to be in any trouble."
Bolton began an apprenticeship in baking but two years in switched to welding.
Mr Tankard explained that the "wheels started to fall off in 2018" when he began to hang around "the wrong crowd".
"He was introduced to ice straight away," he said.
"He moved to Wagga and started selling to support his habit ... the offending period appears to be under a month.
"He was using 1.5 grams of ice per day ... his whole life was looking for drugs."
Mr Tankard said since being arrested 10 months ago, Bolton had been off drugs, and he was lucky to have the love and support of his family during rehabilitation.
In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Christopher Halburd said the community was "sick and tired" of ice.
"Everyone knows someone who has been touched by this drug," he said.
"People who sell it are part of the system that keeps that drug pumping through the community.
"He's continued to destroy other peoples lives."
Magistrate Halburd acknowledged Bolton's early plea and young age, adding that he comes from a "good family" that supports him.
Bolton had lost two jobs and a partner, Magistrate Halburd said, due to his need to fund his addiction.
"The sentencing exercise is aggravated because the defendant was on a series of intensive correction orders at the time of this offending," he said.
"One has to temper this with the understanding he is very young, he pleaded guilty straight away, and he has a family who will help him."
Bolton was sentenced to a combined term of 16 months in jail, backdated to September. He is eligible to be released in June.
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