From Car Yard to Cocaine: The Downfall of a Canberra Dealer
A Canberra man's double life as a car dealer and cocaine trafficker has been laid bare in the ACT Supreme Court, resulting in a stern judicial warning and a community-based prison sentence.
Nicholas John Kozak, 27, was sentenced on Friday, December 19, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to trafficking in a controlled substance and possessing property suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told Kozak to "keep your nose clean" as she handed down a two-year intensive correction order and 200 hours of community service. She warned that any return to drug dealing would see him sent to jail.
A 'Sophisticated Concealment' Uncovered
The court heard Kozak's illicit enterprise was discovered during a 2022 traffic stop. Police found approximately 90 grams of cocaine hidden in what the Chief Justice described as a "sophisticated concealment" within his vehicle.
The amount was six times the trafficable quantity in the Australian Capital Territory. Officers also uncovered a phone and, in a subsequent search, $50,000 in cash believed to be illegal profits.
Further evidence of a commercial operation was found in the form of 120 boxes of Panadol Extra and benzocaine. Both substances are known cutting agents used to bulk out pure cocaine for street-level sales.
Addiction Fuelled a Criminal Enterprise
According to a pre-sentence report, Kozak told authorities he began trafficking to fund his own expensive drug habit. That motivation later shifted to pure financial gain.
Chief Justice McCallum noted that the circumstances showed Kozak was "more than a street-level dealer but not at the top of a sophisticated hierarchy."
The judge acknowledged that Kozak has reportedly been abstinent from drugs since his arrest in 2023 and has spent only one night in custody for these offences.
Serving a Prison Term in the Community
In explaining the sentence, Chief Justice McCallum told Kozak, "You need to remember that for the next two years, you're actually serving a term of imprisonment." She said the decision to allow him to serve it in the community reflected his good personal qualities and her optimism about his rehabilitation.
However, she issued a clear ultimatum: if he gave into the temptation to deal drugs again, he would return to court and go "back out the other door"—a reference to being sent to a correctional facility.
The case highlights the intersection of addiction and crime, showing how a legitimate business professional can be drawn into a high-stakes illegal trade with severe legal consequences.
