Spending money generated by her then partner’s drug dealing resulted in Joanne Lisa Marie Wilson’s conviction for money laundering. Sentenced to six months community detention, Justice Lang said jail time would be counterproductive for Wilson; she had overcome an addiction to methamphetamine having been drug free for nearly two years and now had a steady job with her employer speaking highly of her work ethic.
Wilson was caught up on the periphery of a 2020 police operation known as Operation Emoji. Her then partner Calebh Simpson was arrested. Police seized cash in excess of $1.7 million. Police inquiries identified that Wilson assisted Simpson in getting rid of cash generated from selling methamphetamine. Evidence was given of her banking cash into her bank account, using the money to buy clothing, buy a vehicle and meet living expenses plus making payments at Simpson’s direction: to rent storage sheds in Auckland and Whakatane; to cover a friend’s legal expenses; and, to put in credit prisoner personal accounts with Corrections. These activities amounted to money laundering. At law, it was not money laundering to use cash from Simpson for living expenses without first banking this cash through a bank account, Justice Lang ruled.
Wilson’s sentence of six months community detention imposed a 6.00 pm to 5.00 am curfew.
R v. Wilson – High Court (5.08.22)
22.136