Australia- FORMER internet tycoon Greg Lasrado has walked free from a Brisbane court with no conviction recorded after being fined $700 for possession of 1.3g of pure heroin.
Mr Lasrado, 36, a share trader who once earned up to $10 million a year from online pornography businesses, vowed through his barrister to stay away from drug users and dealers.
He pleaded guilty last week to one charge of possession of a dangerous drug after a second heroin possession charge was dropped.
When Mr Lasrado first appeared in court after his arrest in February, police alleged he had been shooting as much as $4500 worth of heroin into his arm every day.
Prosecutor Brendan James told Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday that police began a surveillance operation to monitor Mr Lasrado’s activities in January after becoming aware of his heroin addiction.
They learned that he regularly deposited $4500 a time in the bank account of alleged drug dealer Bede Michael McMillan.
Mr McMillan, police alleged, would withdraw the money, buy heroin from a supplier and deliver it to Mr Lasrado.
Mr James said the prosecution accepted the heroin was for Mr Lasrado’s personal use.
The court was told Mr Lasrado had one previous conviction. He was fined $1500 in late 2001 for owning an unlicensed semi-automatic handgun.
His barrister, Chris Wilson, said Mr Lasrasdo had bought the gun after his home was broken into and he was physically attacked by the intruder.
“Stupidly he purchased a weapon,” Mr Wilson said. “It was an isolated and stupid decision of his in order to protect himself.”
He asked magistrate Joan White not to record a conviction because it was Mr Lasrado’s first drug offence, he had received naltrexone implants to help fight his addiction and had been drug free “for some time”, and he needed to work as a share trader.
Sentencing Mr Lasrado, Ms White said she had taken into account his guilty plea and the amount of heroin found in his possession.
She told Mr Lasrado she accepted that “certainly for the time being you seem to have taken some positive steps to overcome your addiction”.