A Barrack Point bricklayer who supplied cocaine at popular Wollongong beaches and nightlife venues was later caught with four firearms after police raided his property.
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Samuel Joseph Keel was sentenced at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis, two counts of possessing a prohibited drug, and four counts of possessing an unregistered firearm.
Six other charges were withdrawn.
Keel came under the notice of detectives who established Strike Force Jessup in January to investigate drug supply in the Illawarra.
Tendered court documents stated Keel was monitored supplying a total of 12.3 grams of cocaine on six separate occasions between February 4 and March 30.
He was first seen selling 0.85 grams of the drug to a witness for $300 inside popular North Wollongong venue Pepe's on the evening of February 4.
He struck again six days later, selling 0.77 grams to a witness for $300 in the North Wollongong Hotel car park.
Keel also dealt cocaine two times each in the car parks of Warilla Beach and North Wollongong Beach.
On March 30, detectives approached Keel who was sitting in a red Mitsubishi Triton ute parked at a beach and arrested him.
That evening officers raided his property and seized two air rifles, two gel blasters, two small resealable bags containing 1.6 grams of white powder believed to be cocaine, and one small resealable bag containing 5.9 grams of "green vegetable matter" believed to be cannabis.
Magistrate Claire Girotto handed Keel a three-year community corrections order, with requirements that he be supervised.
He must also pay a total of $3000 in fines and complete 150 hours of unpaid community service work.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
