Scott Miller attributes drug smuggling to the mental health struggles faced by athletes after retiring from elite competition.

Olympic swimmer Scott Miller has attributed his descent into supplying meth to ‘post elite competition depression’ and his own long-term drug abuse. 

Miller appeared for a sentencing hearing in Sydney, having admitted to his involvement in a failed meth smuggling operation across New South Wales.

During the session at Downing Centre District Court, it was revealed that a psychiatric evaluation for the 47-year-old was still pending. This delay was attributed to Miller facing additional drug-related charges for which he had not yet submitted pleas.

Solicitor Greg Goold told the court his client had been diagnosed with ‘post elite competition depression’ and drug abuse disorder.    

Following his remarkable sporting career that included winning the silver medal in the 100m butterfly event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Miller has encountered challenges in his post-retirement life. He has openly discussed facing personal difficulties in recent years.

During an interview with 60 Minutes in 2014 he admitted he was battling a drug addiction. He previously worked as a drug awareness and prevention speaker with the Church of Scientology’s Narconon program.

Miller is also known for his brief marriage to Sydney socialite and TV presenter Charlotte Dawson between 1999 and 2000. Dawson took her own life in 2014.    

Miller pleaded guilty in March to supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

He was originally charged with knowingly directing a criminal group but after representations by Mr Goold that was downgraded to participating in the drug syndicate, to which he also pleaded guilty. 

Justin Szabolics, 45, pleaded guilty to supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group. 

Wayne Allan Johnson, 49, pleaded guilty to taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group.      

Miller’s plan to drive 4kg of meth worth $2.2million across the state ended in his inevitable arrest along with his three bumbling accomplices.

The entire shambolic scheme had no chance of success, with police watching, listening to and tracking every movement of the drugs from start to finish.   

Miller drove the meth about 280km from Sydney to Yass and handed over the consignment for transport to Albury.

But the drugs were ditched more than 200km further south after two incompetent mules were involved in a high-speed pursuit with highway patrol officers.   

The investigation into Miller began early last year after police discovered a shipment of candles which each contained half a kilogram of methylamphetamine. 

By monitoring electronic communications police identified a group including Miller, Johnson, Szabolics, and Luke Mathew Peake.

After obtaining a surveillance device warrant police were able to install trackers, listening and optical devices inside a white Toyota Camry with Western Australian plates used by Miller.

Those devices revealed the Camry had a hidden, electronically lockable compartment concealed behind the rear passenger seat which could only be opened with a specific sequence of actions.

At 4.30pm on January 11, Miller drove the Camry from Wise Street, Rozelle to White Street Balmain. The hide was empty when Miller got out of the car and walked to Elkington Park. 

A short time later an unknown man wearing a hi-visibility shirt and face covering opened the rear passenger door and placed a blue, white and red bag into the footwell. 

Inside the bag were eight candles in glass containers which contained 3,961 grams of meth, sometimes called ‘eye’ by suppliers. 

The meth was in oil form, mixed in with the candle wax, and the intention was to convert it to crystals in a process known as sharding.  

At 4.30pm Miller returned to the Camry and drove it to Thornton Street, Balmain where he appeared to use his mobile phone to take photos of the footwell.

He then opened the hide – which required the ignition to be turned on – and loaded the contents of the bag into the compartment before closing it. 

Miller drove the Camry to nearby Terry Street and left the vehicle parked there overnight.  

Just after 6pm Miller contacted Johnson using the supposedly encrypted ANOM mobile phone app which was popular with criminals at the time. Miller’s handle was EyeQ and Johnson called himself Snowy Mountain.

Unknown to both men, ANOM had been set up by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and communications were being monitored by Australian Federal Police analysts.

Miller: ‘Bro… Yo… I need the eye separated from the wax and sharded… Bro.’

Johnson: ‘I talk to them tomoz… I pushed for tonight. Someone was with him a few days ago. Said he couldn’t see me Tull tomorow.

Miller: ‘Ok… I have pressure to do it quick from OS people… Yo… Yo.’

About 12pm the next day Miller picked up the Camry and drove to Homebush then returned to Balmain without stopping. He messaged Johnson again at 12.04pm using ANOM.

Miller: ‘On way to Yass… On m4… Tiger up my ass bro… I need you… Meet me M4… I’m turning around… I’ll come your area… ‘

Johnson: ‘I’m on scooter 20 min.’

Shorty before 1pm Miller told Johnson he was parked in a dead end near his home and to come outside, bringing his encrypted Ciphr phone. Johnson joined him about 1.30pm and said he couldn’t find his Ciphr.

Miller showed Johnson how to access the hide and Johnson placed something small inside the compartment. The pair then drove west on the M4 motorway.

At 2.44pm they stopped at a service station at Pheasants Nest, about 100km south-west of Sydney, to refuel and purchase snacks. Johnson took over the driving.

Down in Albury on the NSW-Victoria border on the same day, Peake had met up with Miller’s friend Szabolics. 

Szabolics told Peake he was working for Miller and he had to pick up a vehicle in Yass as part of his employment.

‘[Peake] was concerned about Szabolics driving such distances without company and offered to come with him,’ a statement of facts said. ‘At the time Szabolics had broken up with a girlfriend and the offender was worried about his mental state.’

Szabolics and Peake drove the 270km north-east to Yass and at 4.28pm checked into the Thunderbird Motel, where Miller and Johnson pulled up in the Camry about half an hour later.

Johnson later accessed the hidden compartment several times, loading items and removing the blue, white and red bag.

All four men later drove to a remote road where the Camry was refuelled from a jerry can and Johnson showed Szabolics how to open the hide.

The group went back to the Thunderbird Motel where Johnson returned the bag to the Camry and Peake put it in the hidden compartment. 

As the four stood around the car Szabolics questioned the wisdom of using a car with Western Australian plates and Miller reassured him it wasn’t a problem. They all then had a meal at the Club House Hotel.

Shortly before 9pm Szabolics and Peake got into the Camry and headed south on the Hume Highway for Albury. About 11pm they stopped at a rest area at Little Billabong. 

‘During this time Szabolics injected “gear” and told Peake about his relationship with Miller, saying that others were “in his pocket” and that he “gets s**t done”,’ a statement of facts said.

‘He said that he and Miller had attended rehab together twice, and said, “He’s a good c**t ’cause he doesn’t, like, you can do what you want as long as you’re doing your s**t . Like, he doesn’t tell me not take drugs.’

The pair then resumed their journey with Peake – who was disqualified from driving – at the wheel.

At 11.46pm a Holbrook highway patrol vehicle tried to stop the Camry and flashed its warning lights. Szabolics told Peake: ‘Go’. 

Police commenced a pursuit and Peake accelerated to 200km/h before braking harshly and turning onto Woomargama Way at Woomargama, crossing onto the wrong side of the road. 

The pursuit was terminated by police who feared for their safety.

Once the chase was over Szabolics and Peake argued about where they should go next and Szabolics took over the driving.

‘After swapping, Szabolics told [Peake] it would be bad if they were caught with the contents of the bag,’ a statement of facts said.

‘Whilst Szabolics was driving, Peake said, “We’ve just gotta get back to [indecipherable] and then we’re going to f***ing stash the car somewhere”.

‘The interior light of the car went on and Peake accessed the hidden compartment. Sometime later Peake said words to the effect “stash this” and they slowed down and Peake said “Tree”.’

At 12.03am the Camry stopped at the intersection of Holbrook Wagga Road and Rose Valley Lane at Cookardinia where Peake put the bag behind a large tree in long grass. They then drove to Jindera Street, Jindera and abandoned the vehicle.

Later that day police found the bag containing the drugs where Peake had put it.

‘The following day Szabolics approached [Peake] and asked him to come and retrieve the items,’ a statement of facts said. 

‘[Peake] refused as he did not want to be part of the criminal activity. However he later relented but they could not find the bag.’

Peake and Szabolics were arrested for other matters on January 14 and held in custody.

A search warrant was executed on Miller’s apartment at Rozelle just after 6am on February 16. The Camry was found at the unit.

Footage showed police busting down the door of the unit where Miller was photographed shirtless and slumped on a chair while investigators scoured the premises for evidence. 

At his apartment police found 796.8 grams of heroin in a cardboard box inside a walk-in wardrobe. They located $2,175 in the same wardrobe, $500 in a satchel, and $69,870 in a safe. 

Johnson was arrested the same day as Miller but Peake and Szabolics were not charged over the drug run until March 16 – a month later. 

Peake, 42, pleaded guilty to taking part in the supply of a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, driving while disqualified and driving recklessly and at dangerous speeds during the police pursuit.

In March he received minimum terms of 15 months for each offence and became eligible for parole on May 13.

While in custody Miller was also charged with offences including directing a criminal group between April and October 2020 over an unrelated alleged conspiracy. 

Mr Goold said his client was suffering drug abuse disorder throughout 2020 and had not entered pleas to those charges.

Miller is accused of knowingly taking part in the manufacture of 1kg of methylamphetamine, which is considered a large commercial quantity.

It is also alleged he supplied 3kg of the drug and conspired with two co-accused to manufacture a large commercial quantity of meth.

On Wednesday, Judge Tim Gartlemann adjourned the sentencing of Miller, Szabolics and Johnson until November 3.