A Braybrook chef and grandmother has been jailed and fined for storing almost $120,000 of drug money in her bedroom.
Suong Thu Pham pleaded guilty in the County Court to recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
A sentencing hearing on February 18 heard $118,000 was found at her Braybrook address during a search that was part of Operation Isoleucine, which tracked the activities of heroin dealers.
Cash valued at $59,950 was found in the cistern of a toilet in the downstairs front bedroom and $59,000 had been hidden in a child’s toy in the same bedroom.
Judge Michael McInerney said 61-year- old Pham had been caught up in criminal activities involving family members.
“It is significant that in that family home is a young [grand]daughter of some five and a half years of age,” he said. “She [Pham] does have the care of the child, and the child has now started school.
“This is a serious matter that warrants considerably more immediate imprisonment than 50 days.
“However, when one is sentencing one does not only look at the objective criminality … the factors that I have mentioned are her age, her obligations to the granddaughter, the fact that she has no priors.”
Pham was sentenced to 50 days’ jail and fined $10,000.
