Crime Correspondent: Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Valley nightclub owner Todd Sean Filippa aka Mr T is facing a possible 12 to 16 years' jail

Fortitude Valley nightclub owner Todd Sean Filippa, 44, is facing a possible 12 to 16 years' jail after pleading guilty in January to drug trafficking over a two-year period in 2003-04.In a "contested hearing" that has so far run for several weeks, Filippa is challenging the Crown's assertion that he was the co-ordinator and financier of the syndicate.He also has been accused of being personally involved in the "cooking" of large quantities of methylamphetamine at Miles in August 2004, and organising others to do so on other occasions.Filippa, a tall, thickset man with big broad shoulders and long, slicked-back black hair tied in a ponytail, on Thursday accused prosecutor Don McKenzie of making him out to be "Pablo Escobar", referring to the Colombian drug lord, and "the boss of all bosses of the entire world". Filippa, or "Mr T" as he is known to his drug criminal associates, is a member of the Bellino family that became infamous during the Fitzgerald inquiry in the late 1980s.His uncle Geraldo Bellino, who was accused of running an empire of illegal brothels and gambling dens in Fortitude Valley in the '80s, was jailed in 1991 for almost seven years after being convicted of paying bribes, worth $17,000 a month, to police.Filippa's father, Tony Bellino, a former nightclub owner who still runs a Valley restaurant, was questioned during the inquiry but not charged. The CMC began its operation in December 2003 after identifying suspected criminal activity near Scores and Rockafellas – Fortitude Valley nightclubs owned and operated by Filippa.Earlier, police had found five publications detailing how to make methylamphetamine in a shed at Albion linked to Filippa's de facto. Although Filippa denied knowledge of the publications, they had been paid for with his credit card.In September 2003 the CMC set up a hidden video camera in the Valley's Ranwell Lane, behind Filippa's nightclubs. The camera captured alleged key syndicate members and friends Christopher Plaszewski and Filippa and other "persons of interest" having regular conversations in Plaszewski's red BMW and in the lane.The CMC then installed a listening device and tracker in the car and further devices were put into his home and another vehicle.The operation leaders, CMC detectives Acting Inspector Mitch Castles and Sen-Sgt Tony Morgan, believed there was evidence that Filippa and some of his associates were heavily involved in methylamphetamine production and trafficking.They also learned there was a clandestine drug laboratory operating somewhere in western Queensland, the Supreme Court has heard. From July 2004 the Australian Crime Commission began making legal telephone interceptions of phone conversations between members of the syndicate. Listening devices also were installed at Filippa's Warner home. Police and the CMC then identified a property, bought by Filippa, in Ryalls Rd, Miles, as the suspected site of large-scale production of methylamphetamine. Filippa, a father of three, claimed in court he was a successful nightclub owner who never allowed drugs on his premises but had friends and associates involved in drug production.He said the Miles property was simply bought by him so his partner and daughter could go horse and motorbike riding.A search in late July that year uncovered industrial chemicals and drug-making equipment. Investigators installed a listening device.Between August 22 and 27, conversations between Filippa, Warren Bourke, Lee Keily, Steven Jenkins and Trent Evans were recorded during a methylamphetamine "cook" at the property.In one taped conversation Filippa was heard to say: "I've been cooking for 12 years mate. They've never f---in' come to a place where I've been f---in' cooking."In another conversation he says: "This is a great job, great business, the most profitable business in crime."At 5am on August 27 the property was raided, with investigators finding about 2.5kg of pure crystal methylamphetamine and another half-litre of liquid methylamphetamine. five were arrested and charged, but later were released on bail.The Crown alleges that Filippa, Christopher Plaszewski, Scott Adams, Tony Lalli-Cafini and Warren Bourke were key members of the syndicate.Other criminal associates were sourcing the cold and flu tablets to make the precursor pseudoephedrine for methylamphetamine production.The court heard one person supplied enough pills to make 20kg of methylamphetamine.In court on Wednesday, Filippa claimed he only got involved in the extraction process at Ryalls Rd that August, spending days making the precursor pseudoephedrine. He denied he was involved in the drug "cook", saying he only wanted to get 30g of methylamphetamine to give to his drug-using partner.After the raid the operation continued, and later some syndicate members were arrested with a pill press machine allegedly bought for $30,000.There also was evidence that some members were involved in another 2kg methylamphetamine cook, and further arrests were made before the operation was closed in December that year.In March 2005 CMC investigators, with the help of the ACC, intercepted Filippa's emails, which led them to suspect he was intending to flee overseas. He had transferred more than $28,000 to the South American country of Suriname, which had no extradition treaty with Australia. In May 2005, Filippa was arrested after he lodged an application to obtain a passport in a false name. He has pleaded guilty to charges in relation to the passport application. Warren "Stumpy" Bourke, the syndicate's methylamphetamine cook now serving 10 years' jail for drug trafficking, denied Filippa was the boss of any drug syndicate. In court he described Filippa as someone who came across as "the up-front man" and who could appear to be "pretty bloody scary" or "as kind as a kitten". "My saying is – he watched too many mafia movies," Bourke said.The CMC found a collection of mafia books at Filippa's house. Justice Ann Lyons will make a finding about Filippa's level of involvement in the drug operation and sentence him within the next few weeks.

Fortitude Valley nightclub owner Todd Sean Filippa aka Mr T is facing a possible 12 to 16 years' jail

Fortitude Valley nightclub owner Todd Sean Filippa, 44, is facing a possible 12 to 16 years' jail after pleading guilty in January to dr...