14 Nov 2012

Whanau Ora gang fraudster jailed

11:09 pm on 14 November 2012

A Dunedin gang member who led an operation to use government funds to buy drug supplies has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Three members of the Mongrel Mob Notorious gang who were trustees of a charitable trust called We Against Violence were charged in May with using a $20,000 Whanau Ora grant to purchase about 6kg of cannabis.

Korrey Cook, 36, who was regarded as the leader of the group, pleaded guilty but two co-accused are heading to trial.

Cook also pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing cannabis and another of conspiring to supply the Class C drug.

In the Dunedin District Court on Wednesday, Judge Michael Crosbie said Cook's offending was serious, occurred twice while on bail for violence, and came after eight previous drug convictions.

He told Cook he had exploited Government grants for personal gain and planned to teach others to do the same.

"You saw your chapter of the Mongrel Mob as being a model for other chapters on how to receive funding for the Ministry of Maori Development, and intercepted communications showed you involved in mentoring others in gangs about the funding process."

Judge Crosbie said Cook had eight previous drug offences and was on bail for violence during the latest offending, so it had to be strongly denounced.

Cook's lawyer said he wanted to leave the gang, but the judge said the court had heard that twice before.

He sentenced Cook to a total of four years in prison including nine months for the defrauding of Government funds.