John Wright pleads guilty in ACT Supreme Court to drug trafficking, other offences

John Donald George Wright, 47, pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday to two counts of trafficking in cocaine.

He also admitted single charges of dealing with proceeds of crime, possessing a prohibited weapon, and conspiring to cultivate cannabis plants for sale.

Wright, who is also known as John Winchester, began committing the offences in January 2021.

When police put a stop to his criminal activity by arresting him in November that year, he was the Canberra chapter vice-president of the Rebels bikie gang.

His current outlaw motorcycle gang status is unknown.

Prosecutor Andrew Chatterton told the court on Tuesday that the facts of Wright's offending were yet to be agreed.

He indicated he would withdraw further charges previously levelled at Wright.

At the time of Wright's arrest, detectives from ACT Policing's bikie-busting unit, Taskforce Nemesis, executed a search warrant at his unit on Mort Street.

They claimed to have found cocaine, $15,150 in cash, and a set of knuckledusters.

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Some of the drugs were in a sock that was sitting on a table, a portion of the money was in Wright's washing machine, and the knuckledusters were in a fruit bowl.

Police also alleged they had found instructions for cultivating cannabis plants in a bedroom, as well as hydroponic equipment in a van parked in Wright's allocated space.

Wright, who spent a night in police custody after his arrest, remains on bail.

He came close to losing his liberty last August, when he spoke to jailed former Rebels bikie boss Ali Hassan Bilal on the phone in breach of his bail conditions.

His case is now set to go before a registrar, who will allocate a sentencing date.

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