A stolen police radio found in a drug dealer's car did not save him from being intercepted, leading to a big cash and drug seizure.
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Matthew Vincent Piscopo, already in jail over serious drug and firearm offences, is facing further drug trafficking charges from his time on bail.
He pleaded guilty to several charges at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday, after he was found with more than $21,000 in cash hidden in his jacket and in his car, and a substantial amount of methamphetamine, when he was stopped by police in Ballarat East in April.
Officers also found a police radio - Piscopo was charged with handling stolen goods, with a search of his phone messages revealing an associate had found the radio in February.
"Not that it did him much good, he still got arrested," defence lawyer Adrian Paull quipped.
In total, 14.5g of meth was found, with 44 Xanax tablets, two digital scales, and two mobile phones.
Piscopo was also driving an unregistered car unlicenced, with false plates.
Mr Paull submitted Piscopo had already served 117 days pre-sentence detention for this matter, and was currently serving a far-longer sentence for similar offending.
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"While his prospects of rehabilitation should be considered guarded at best, his history is starting to catch up with him, and they shouldn't be considered extinguished," Mr Paull said.
"If he's released at earliest date, that's 18 months on parole, that's a significant parole period, and that will be the litmus test for his ability to rehabiltate."
Magistrate Tim Walsh said the police radio "is a large concern", remanding Piscopo for sentence on Thursday.
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