The Mongols’ key wholesale methamphetamine distributor was trying to take over a high-ranking position when police busted the gang for its drug dealings and involvement in an increasing number of armed shootings.

The man, who has interim name suppression, made the suggestion in a ciphertext after national president Jim “JD” Thacker was arrested in June 2020.

“So brothers we need to sort out what’s our best move from here,” he wrote in the encrypted message.

He then suggested a position high in the ranks for both himself and another person “until the bro’s out”.

He finished the message asking: “everyone sweet with that?”

A screenshot of that text, supplied by a secret witness, together with a large amount of drugs he was found guilty of either supplying or possessing, saw the 29-year-old jailed for 14 years and nine months in the High Court at Hamilton this week.

Justice Melanie Harland determined the amount of methamphetamine the man dealt with on his charges was 15.5kg.

Crown prosecutor Anna Pollett told Justice Harland that he was the “first of the most serious” Mongols members to be sentenced this week.

A group of co-accused were jailed in June for their various parts, while president Jim “JD” Thacker, vice president Hone Ronaki and Leon “the Wolf” Huritu will appear later this week.

Operation Silk saw police focus on the newly-formed Mongols gang during 2019 and 2020 after they’d set up a national class A, B, C, and other drug distribution network.

Arsons and shootings were also prevalent. One incident saw a Haukore St, Tauranga home, linked to the Mongrel Mob, littered with more than 90 bullets.

There was another shootout between members of the Mongols and the Mongrel Mob outside a house on No 2 Rd, Te Puke, a couple of days later.

The Crown submitted the defendant was the gang’s wholesale distributor of drugs, which Justice Harland accepted, putting his offending at the “upper end of significant”, or “on par with Jason Ross”, the gang’s South Island president, who was jailed for 12 years.

She said he was motivated by financial gain and understood the scale of the gang’s operation.

The man’s counsel, Ben Smith, disputed several aspects; that he was the group’s wholesale distributor of meth, being involved in the Haukore St shooting, or having a leading role in the gang.

He instead simply followed or “obeyed” instructions from senior members.

There was also no evidence of him living a lavish lifestyle; instead, he was reliant on family to get by, he said.

His client had struggled in prison, particularly as most of his family lived overseas, and he hadn’t seen a child for more than three years - something he hoped would change with a visit scheduled soon.

He had come to New Zealand to catch up with his friend, Thacker, Smith said.

“He came over because of people he knew and liked. He got on well with Jim Thacker, he said he was a charismatic man... he thought he was really fun,” Smith said.

He now wanted to focus on being a better person, and father, to his child, Smith said.

Crown prosecutor Anna Pollett said he was “essentially” the gang’s wholesale distributor of its methamphetamine, disputing Smith’s submission that he “obeyed” commands of more senior members.

He also went of his own volition along with senior members to the shooting at Haukore St and his fingerprints were on a box of weapons found by police that were also used in the No 2 Rd shooting.

Pollett said he drove around in less-distinguishable vehicles as it made him less of a target for authorities.

“So it was a very deliberate move to have modest vehicles not only because of being able to conceal drugs in them, it was so it didn’t capture the attention of police.”

She accepted that while he was young at the time of the offending, he was anything but inexperienced, as he had been a part of a gang overseas before joining the Mongols as a patched member in New Zealand.

“In terms of inexperience, he’s certainly gone from 0 to 100.

“I don’t think it can be categorised as inexperience because he has climbed the ranks very quickly and become responsible for a large wholesale distribution of methamphetamine and patched [gang] member.”

Justice Harland said that text convinced her he was a more senior figure, indicating “you were ready to take charge”, she said, and joined the Mongols because of Thacker.

“You were trusted by [Jim Thacker] and on par with the South Island president Mr [Jason] Ross... the methamphetamine in Auckland had to come from somewhere before it came to you.

“You must have therefore had links through the Mongols to get this methamphetamine from somewhere and it’s clear to me that you were trusted to do so.”

However, she accepted he was now ready to start turning his life around, had shown insight into his offending, and continued to have family support.

As for deciding whether to impose a minimum non-parole period, Justice Harland said a 40 per cent minimum period of imprisonment was appropriate due to the “significant drug dealing” involved and the irreparable harm drugs cause communities.

He was jailed for 14 years and nine months in prison with a minimum non-parole period of five years and 10 months.

Belinda Feek has been a reporter for 19 years, and at the Herald for eight years, joining the Open Justice team in 2022.