Bikie boss in court over coke ring
12th October 2010
WIDE BAY Rebels bikie gang president Adam McCrea fronted court yesterday along with those accused of trafficking cocaine for the drug ring he allegedly headed.
On March 11 this year McCrea was arrested near Tiaro after police pulled him over on the Bruce Highway and allegedly found cocaine in his car.
The court heard that in the lead- up to his arrest police had been monitoring members of the Rebels bikie gang, and in particular McCrea, as part of an investigation into what they believed was a cocaine trafficking ring between Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast.
Eight people including McCrea have been charged with drug trafficking as part of Operation Ice Mix.
Yesterday morning two of those accused, Mark Darran Berghofer and Peter Ross Hill, were the first to face the Hervey Bay Magistrates Court.
They were released on bail and ordered to stand trial in the Hervey Bay District Court on a date to be set.
The remaining six, McCrea, Bradley James Allan Cameron, Joshua Shane Carew, Kylee Heather Anderson, Steven Michael Smith and Lisa Joan Thomas, are taking part in a committal hearing which started yesterday afternoon and is expected to continue today and tomorrow.
The bulk of the afternoon was taken up by the playing of a tape recorded interview between police and McCrea's sister Lisa Thomas.
At the time officers had just searched Ms Thomas's home after intercepting a phone call where McCrea organised his sister to drive to Cameron's house in Southport and pick up money he said was owed to him.
While Ms Thomas admitted she had made the trip to pick up the money she said she had “no idea” what it was for.
She said McCrea had been “really crook with the flu” at the time and that she wanted to help him out because she knew he had solicitor bills to take care of.
When asked if she knew how McCrea managed to maintain his lifestyle on a disability pension Ms Thomas said she didn't want to know.
“I'm not stupid,” Ms Thomas said.
“But I love my brother.
“I don't condone what he does but he's still my brother.”