A LIFE and Death bikie arrested as part of a massive organised crime crackdown last year has pleaded guilty to supplying ice and possessing a small stockpile of illegal firearms.
Jeffrey Michael Firkin, 49, of Weston, was represented by solicitor Mark Ramsland when he appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via audio visual link from Long Bay Correctional Centre.
He pleaded guilty to supplying methamphetamine, possession of more than three unregistered firearms and unauthorised possession of a prohibited firearm.
Firkin will appear in Newcastle District Court next month to get a sentence date.
The 49-year-old, who police have said was a member of the Life and Death Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, was one of 45 people arrested across the state in May last year during a state-wide organised crime crackdown labelled Operation Hawk.
As part of Operation Hawk, police say they seized more than 80 firearms and 3300 rounds of ammunition, $2.8 million cash and drugs with a combined estimated potential street value of more than $9 million.
Firkin was arrested on May 25 last year when police went to his Weston home to execute a firearm prohibitions order and weapons prohibition order, which had been made against him a few days earlier.
When police placed the documents on the dining table next to him, Firkin became ill and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance, court documents state.
Police searched the house and found drugs, cash and weapons in a number of locations, including 78.8 grams of methamphetamine, 1.2 kilograms of cannabis leaf and $5300 in cash.
The weapons seized included a 12-gauge shotgun, a .22 calibre self-loading rifle, a 12-gauge single-barrel shotgun, a .410 calibre bolt-action repeating shotgun and a shortened .44-40 calibre revolving carbine, all of which had never been registered.
Meanwhile, another member of the Life and Death OMCG, accused of supplying methamphetamine, had his matter mentioned in court on Wednesday.
Dean William Hyland, 52, was represented by solicitor John Anthony in Newcastle Local Court. He has not entered any pleas to a number of drug supply charges and will next appear in court in June.
According to police, Strike Force Raptor detectives launched Strike Force Jellingal in October last year to investigate the supply of ice in Sydney's west.
Mr Hyland was arrested by Newcastle-Hunter highway patrol officers for an unrelated offence on January 16 and refused bail.
After investigations, Strike Force Jellingal detectives charged Mr Hyland with six offences, including supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs.
Strike Force Jellingal detectives also arrested 36-year-old David Wildsmith, who police say is an associate of the Life and Death OMCG, during a vehicle stop on Maitland Road, Cessnock on February 7.
He was charged with supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug and remains behind bars.
Police allege the pair supplied methamphetamine on a number of occasions between November 2022 and January 2023.
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