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Jessica Kalivati pleaded guilty in Palmerston North courthouse Wednesday to money laundering charges.
The daughter of a police officer who was in bed with a drug dealer admitted to using dirty money to finance a luxurious lifestyle.
Jessica Kalivati, 28, was arrested as part of Operation Abbey, a lucrative methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering operation based in the quiet town of Horowhenua, Shannon.
Kalivati was in a four-year relationship with Gary O’Connell, 43, a high school dropout who ran the ring from home, earning more than $ 4 million in five years.
She knew he was a drug dealer and helped him hide $ 236,782.
READ MORE:
* Abbey falls: ringleader, drug stasher, and others admit roles in $ 4 million meth syndicate
* Police daughter accused of money laundering, drug trafficking
In Palmerston North District Court on Wednesday, Kalivati pleaded guilty to the money laundering charges. Other drug-related charges were dropped.
O’Connell was sentenced last month to nine years in prison for his involvement and three others, Emma Jane Armstrong, Stephen Heta Puhipuhi and Alice Irene Andrews, were also sentenced on drug-related charges.
Warwick Smith / Stuff
Gary Colin O’Connell spent his life in drug trafficking, earning him $ 4 million in five years selling methamphetamine.
The court heard that Kalivati used various methods to spend the money, such as using cash to pay for expensive vacations, vehicles, and property.
Between 2015 and 2017, Kalivati paid $ 34,882 in travel through Flight Center and House of Travel.
She paid a $ 3,500 deposit into the seller’s bank account for a $ 75,000 Dodge Challenger purchased by O’Connell and was present when he paid $ 19,982 in cash for lifetime ski passes to Tūroa Ski Resort for pair.
He went on vacation to Queenstown with him and 19 other associates in July 2019.
She paid for meals over two nights, totaling $ 1,857 and $ 1,565, respectively, and arranged accommodations worth $ 15,448.
In 2019, Kalivati gave her sister $ 5,000. She also spent $ 14,041 through her Trade Me account to buy concert tickets, vehicle accessories, and appliances.
A Streamline caravan was registered in your name. It was later modified to be used as a mobile coffee cart, branded with his business, Stay Grounded Coffee Co.
He paid $ 57,500 for the caravan, but had no legitimate means of income to pay for it.
According to an online reference, the cart headed to events “in the area, serving the best Arrosta coffee beans with a variety of cold drinks and other beverages.”
In 2017, she and O’Connell took a Mazda Axela for a test drive in Ōtaki after seeing it on Trade Me.
O’Connell paid for it with $ 11,000 in cash and was registered in Kalivati’s name soon after.
A Toyota Hilux was also registered in his name. He was seen off his property several times and was paid for with drug money. It was estimated to cost $ 37,400.
As his drug fund continued to mount, O’Connell reached out to the owner of a Petticoat Lane home, Shannon.
He indicated that Kalivati was interested in buying it. They later agreed that she would pay $ 160,000 for the property.
He said he wanted to pay a deposit of $ 30,000 in installments over nine months.
Another $ 70,000 would come from his coffee business, $ 15,000 from a bank subsidy, and another $ 40-45,000 would be paid over 12 months.
O’Connell then began paying the owner cash installments, between $ 1,000 and $ 6,000, until the sum of $ 30,000 was paid. The owner understood that the money came from Kalivati.
