A prominent Wollongong solicitor who allegedly supplied a party drug to friends after a Sydney Harbour cruise has been granted strict conditional bail.
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Founder and director of CVC Law, Vittorio 'Vic' Cuoco, fronted Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday after being arrested on drug supply charges.
A lengthy police investigation since October last year, which involved physical and electronic surveillance, also saw the arrest of Cuoco's friend, Paul "PJ" Jewell, who is a muffler mechanic in Fairy Meadow.
Police arrested the pair at their businesses on Tuesday with the solicitor, a father of two teenagers, being charged with 13 counts of supplying and possessing prohibited drugs as well as firearms and gaming offences.
While searching Cuoco's Market Street office, detectives found a resealable bag of cocaine within a football boot memorabilia and MDMA in his car.
At Cuoco's Balgownie home, where he lives with his wife Cyn who appeared on reality television program My Kitchen Rules in 2017; police found a poker machine, which he did not have a licence to own.
An allegedly unsecured air rifle and ammunition was also found, which Cuoco is prohibited from keeping at his home.
Jewell, also a father of two teenagers, was arrested at his Princes Highway Muffler Centre and was charged with 15 offences for supplying prohibited drugs and fraud offences.
In court documents tendered to court, police painted the family men as having party lifestyles where they allegedly "operated in an insular group where the drug was supplied...to others in that group".
Police will allege Cuoco, Jewell and a friend went on a cruise around Sydney Harbour on February 6, which was organised by the lawyer's business associates, where they met a woman before they all went back to a Meriton Hotel room in the city.
The woman alleged asked, "where's the coke?'
Police allege Cuoco supplied cocaine to Jewell and the two other people, with the drugs being concealed in a false key, all of which was captured on a police surveillance device in the room.
The trio of men alleged snorted cocaine off the woman's breasts before they went to a night club.
Police allege Cuoco gave more cocaine to Jewell the following morning, prompting the mechanic to tell a friend, "Vic just got me back on the horse".
During two of six separate incidents, police allegedly recorded Cuoco agreeing to supply "bags" to his associates.
At Jewell's work Christmas party hosted at Cabbage Tree Hotel on December 20 last year, police will allege a drug detection dog operation foiled Cuoco and Jewell's party plans.
Jewell was apparently "sweating beads" and "nearly threw my wallet over the bar" when he saw the drug dogs.
Police allege Jewell tipped off Cuoco to the dog operation via text message prompting Cuoco to say, "whatever I've got, I'm leaving in the car", with Jewell agreeing that it was better to "play it safe".
Jewell is accused of supplying a total of 14 grams of cocaine to associates around the Illawarra more than a dozen times and on one of those occasions, he is accused of selling five bags of cocaine to a friend who wanted it for a seperate cruise party.
Throughout December, Jewell allegedly sold bags of cocaine to various friends or buyers, who were told to meet at an apartment, near his mechanic business and in an associate's work shop.
Police allege Jewell used codewords such as "beer", "coffee", "brackets", "invoice" and "air conditioning units" to refer to cocaine or payment for the drugs.
On another occasion, police allege one of Jewell's buyers complained that there was not enough cocaine in his bag, but instead used codewords saying, "you gave me the wrong bracket...It doesn't fit...I'm trying to stretch it out".
Police allege Jewell's fraud offences relate to a fake invoice given to a mate for repairs done to his truck, that was then used to make a false claim to the man's insurance company.
Jewell was arrested and charged on December 31 for drug supply but instead of stopping his behaviour, police claim he committed a further offence on February 6.
In court on Wednesday, the men's lawyers said their clients both had "strong community ties" and had to be on bail to provide for their families as they were the main "breadwinners".
Cuoco's lawyer said his client had no prior criminal history and he needed to be released as his "business would suffer if he was not able to work".
Both lawyers said a custodial sentence was "not inevitable" if convicted as the police prosecutor submitted.
Cuoco will have to abide by a nighttime curfew, surrender his passport, not leave the Illawarra region and not contact prosecution witnesses or the co-accused.
Jewell will be required to report to the police station three times a week, contact contact prosecution witnesses or the co-accused, surrender his passport and have $2000 paid in surety.
Cuoco's case was adjourned to April 15 while Jewell will be back in court on May 27.