A former sex worker who reinvented herself as an 'energy healer' has been sentenced to a minimum of eight months in prison for her role in laundering $400,000 for an international cocaine syndicate.
Delina Stevenson, 30, appeared before the NSW District Court on Thursday, where she pleaded guilty to one count of recklessly dealing with money at the risk of it becoming an instrument of crime.
The court was told Stevenson was recruited while on a working holiday in Dubai in November 2023. There, she was introduced to Italian national Pasquale Zappia, who instructed her on how to funnel money through her Bondi-based sex business, the Pleasure Paradigm.
Over a two-month period from December 2023 to January 2024, Stevenson received nearly $400,000 across 22 separate transactions, from which she retained a 15 per cent commission. The funds were then sent back to Zappia and his associates, and were later used to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine.
Court documents, reviewed by News.com.au, revealed Stevenson was arrested in February 2025 following an investigation by the Australian Border Force (ABF). Zappia and Melbourne pizza chef Salvatore Formica, both linked to the Calabrian mafia or 'Ndrangheta, were also identified in the probe.
Stevenson had previously been stopped by the ABF in June 2024 as she returned to Sydney, during which officers downloaded a series of WhatsApp messages between her and Zappia.
In earlier court proceedings, Stevenson claimed she was initially unaware the money would be used for illegal purposes. 'I didn't know what I was doing was wrong until further down the track,' she said during cross-examination. She admitted it was a 'slip of judgement' to start the transactions but felt an 'obligation' to continue.
The court heard that Stevenson had since moved on from a life of 'drugs and partying' and was studying 'alternative healing'. On her website, she offers 'Quantum Energy Healing' sessions for around $200.
Her lawyer argued for a community-based sentence, stating his client would be 'particularly vulnerable' in jail due to her 'naive' nature. 'She's a young lady. She's attractive,' he told the court. 'She's clearly somebody that doesn't have a great understanding of the world or the criminal justice process.'
However, NSW District Court Judge Nicole Noman SC rejected the notion that Stevenson was naive. 'She's a woman who has been able to travel the world and perform business activities,' the judge said. 'She strikes me as somebody that has great capacity … if you're saying with and getting involved in the offence … but I'm not sure about generally naive.'
Judge Noman ruled that 'no sentence other than full-time custody' was appropriate. Stevenson was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars, with a non-parole period of eight months, after which she will be released on a recognisance release order requiring good behaviour for three years.
Before being taken into custody, Stevenson was seen hugging relatives in the courthouse.
