Judge Michael Bozic admitted that he was a fool to believe Nateesha Barlin and Dylan were truly remorseful for actions after new evidence suggested the couple never stopped selling steroids.
Nateesha Barlin and Dylan Shaw, the Australian couple who sold steroids via the “Swole Ninja Community” Facebook page, have made a “complete and utter mockery” of the New South Wales District Court according to Judge Michael Bozic.
Judge Michael Bozic allowed himself to be completely fooled by Barlin and Shaw when the couple pleaded guilty to multiple counts of unlawfully importing and supplying prohibited anabolic steroids and human growth hormone in May 2018.
Judge Bozic was totally convinced of the sincerity of Barlin’s and Shaw’s expressed contrition and remorse over their involvement in running Swole Ninja steroid distribution enterprise. Judge Bozic noted that he was particularly impressed with Barlin’s remorse. He was so impressed that he was willing to allow them to complete avoid going to jail.
Bozic had agreed to an Intensive Correction Order (ICO) for the couple at a sentencing date on June 26, 2018. As an alternative to incarceration, the ICO would have allowed Barlin and Shaw to serve their sentence as 32 hours of unpaid community service work per month.
But just a couple of weeks later in July 2018, the NSW Police arrested Shaw in possession of $200,000 during a drug deal outside a restaurant located in the Sydney suburb of Belmore. A search warrant for his home resulted in the seizure of unprocessed anabolic steroid powder and an unspecified quantity of crystal methamphetamine.
Barlin and Shaw made Judge Michael Bozic look like a naive and gullible fool.
Judge Bozic postponed the sentencing in light of this new development. Judge Bozic revoked the ICO referral for Shaw and sentenced him to 18-months in prison on December 12, 2018.
Barlin’s sentencing date was postponed until April 26, 2019. If Barlin thought that she would be spared the anger of Judge Bozic, she was sorely mistaken.
Prosecutors provided extensive evidence that Barlin knew that Shaw had continued selling steroids and drugs through the summer of 2018.
Prosecutors provided evidence that Barlin’s business “Luxe Lashes” had been used to launder drug money. They also provided undercover audio surveillance of Barlin bragging about the amount of money ($50,000 per week) that she and Shaw were making from drug transactions.
“It’s just annoying because what Dylan has got going on at the moment is really good. He’s moving about 2kg a week. We are making 50k a week … that’s what I mean we are making a lot of money,” Barlin reportedly said on the recordings.
Judge Bozic was embarrassed and angry that Barlin had made a fool of him. The judge acknowledged that he had “100 per cent” believed Barlin was remorseful last year. But no more.
“I’ve read those (recordings). If I took the view that, not withstanding everything said that what was going on here, a month after she was referred for an ICO, there is no basis for anything other than a sentence of full-time custody.
“This makes a complete and utter mockery of the sentencing exercise. It holds the court to complete and utter contempt. Judges look (like) fools.”
Michael Mantaj, the defense attorney representing Barlin, apparently found it difficult to defend his client’s behavior.
Mantaj told the judge that not all of the money that went into her Luxe Lashes checking account was from drug sales. Mantaj reminded Judge Bozic that he had already made a judgment to refer Barlin for an ICO and that it was important not to overturn previous judgments.
Judge Bozic adjourned Barlin’s case without a decision until next month. However, all signs point to Judge Bozic overturning his ICO referral and sending Barlin to prison.