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A former Canberra real estate agent is now looking to re-enter the property sector after receiving an intensive corrections order for drug possession, following a decision handed down by the ACT Supreme Court.
A former ACT real estate agent has been found not guilty of being involved in an alleged plan to import a commercial quantity of methamphetamine from the US, but was still convicted of personal possession of 19 grams of meth.
As originally reported by Canberra outlet Region, Gungahlin-based Gerardo Penna was working as a real estate agent in November 2021, and was subject to a police raid.
After the raid located small bags containing 19 grams of methamphetamine in total, digital scales and about $16,000 in cash in Penna’s home, he was then arrested and spent 27 days in custody before being granted bail.
In March of this year, the ACT Supreme Court deliberated on Penna’s matter and heard that the street value of the seized methamphetamine was estimated to be between $8,000 and $23,000, depending on the size it was sold at.
Beyond the drugs found in Penna’s personal possession, he was also accused of involvement in an alleged plan to import 750 grams of methamphetamine from the US into Australia in 2021, which he denied, and was later absolved after being found not guilty by a jury.
However, Penna pled guilty to the charges of trafficking a controlled drug and possessing money that was suspected of being the proceeds of an unspecified crime, for which he was sentenced for on 14 July 2025.
During the sentencing process under Justice David Mossop, Region reported that Penna claimed his offences were due to his own dependence on illicit substances.
The judge then described Penna as a “user-dealer” who had been using meth daily until his arrest in 2021, but noted that evidence showed he had since stopped using illegal drugs, and was on the “pathway to rehabilitation”.
Justice Mossop also discussed the conditions of Penna’s bail in 2021, which notably barred him from using the internet for more than two-and-a-half years.
Penna’s defence barrister, Beth Morrisroe, explained to the ACT Supreme Court that Penna previously had a “longstanding drug addiction”, and had been involved in “significant rehabilitation” efforts since his arrest.
The appointed prosecutor Joshua Nottle argued in turn for Penna’s sentencing on the basis of general and specific deterrence against drugs in the ACT.
While the conditions of Penna’s bail meant he had not been able to work in the real estate sector following his arrest in 2021, Region reported that the former agent has been trying to re-attain his real estate agent’s licence.
Although Justice Mossop convicted Penna and sentenced him to a total of two years and two months’ jail, he took into account the time served and his former bail conditions in releasing Penna on a one-year and seven-month intensive corrections order.
While serving his community-based sentence, Penna will stay out of prison while being subject to strict supervision, as he also completes his 100 hours of community service.
To obtain a real estate agent’s licence in the ACT, applicants are required to obtain the necessary Property Development and Management qualifications and undertake a criminal history check as part of the review process.
An application for a real estate agent licence in the ACT must also be accompanied by a recent police certificate issued by the Australian Federal Police, which indicates whether an applicant has been charged with or convicted of an offence.
During the licensing process in the ACT, the public is also notified of each individual’s application, and if no objections are raised with the commissioner for fair trading for 10 days, a licence is then officially granted.
As of 30 July 2025, Penna is removed from the website of his former Gungahlin-based employer, but is still featured in a claimed and active “Rate My Agent” profile which discusses his previous real estate career.
Penna’s Rate My Agent profile currently describes the former agent as “well established” in Canberra’s real estate world, and specifically highlights his communicative skills and penchant for “sending emails and texts at wee hours in the morning”.
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