Tony reported drug sales using his name. Police called it an alias.

What happened

On 29 November 2024, Joseph De Angeli said using Tony’s name as an online alias did not meet the identity-offence threshold. He said investigators would need proof that identification documents were used to open the accounts and facilitate drug supply. Tony’s earlier email reported a drug-selling account renamed Tony Smith and a Microsoft account using Anthony Smith. Police records contain his earlier financial and account-misuse reports. Cybertrace’s June 2025 report adds findings about drug advertising and a Microsoft account.

Tony says he gave police much more material than he gave Cybertrace. He limited his input to Cybertrace because he wanted the private investigator to assess the material independently.

Tony Smith · explanation supplied for this review · 4 October 2026

What Tony reported

In November 2024, Tony told police a Telegram account had changed its name to Tony Smith and was displaying drug prices and transactions. He also reported a Microsoft Teams account using Anthony Smith, linked to an email he identified as Rushton’s.

Tony says Rushton used his name when contacting him before a hearing. A retained Teams screenshot displays this message on 13 November 2024 at 06:48:

Who are you talking to? I’m Anthony Smith

Cybertrace dates the Microsoft account’s creation to 12 November 2024.

What police said

De Angeli said he reviewed Tony’s emails and attachments. His reply said investigators would need identification documents used to open the accounts:

Essentially investigators would need to prove that your identification documents were used to open these accounts and facilitate the supply of prohibited drugs.

Comparison with the Act

The Act includes a name or address as identification information when it can identify, or purport to identify, a person. “Dealing” includes making, supplying or using that information. The offences also require an intention to commit or help commit an indictable offence. The text does not universally require a passport or licence.

Read the Act · Read the Judicial Commission explanation

Tony’s records linking the accounts to Rushton

Tony identifies Rushton as the person using his name. He supplies these records together:

• Name changes: a Telegram bot records user 7515693902 changing King Anthony Kandy to Tony Smith, and kandykingX to The_real_Tony_smith. Both notices carry the same account ID.
• CCTV and video: a Sydney Lads Up Late post under Tony Smith shows a man at a door. Tony identifies the camera location as outside Rushton’s unit. He identifies Rushton and his voice in a video he says was posted to the same group under Tony’s name.
• WhatsApp: a screenshot shows the contact Mr Issac william Rushton and a number ending 368. Tony says Rushton uses that number on WhatsApp and the main Telegram drug-selling account.

The CCTV post asks “Anyone recognise this gent”, then “Who is he” and “He's been creeping around my apartment”. The WhatsApp conversation includes “It's me” and “It's me babe”.

Both bot notices use account ID 7515693902. Tony links the account to Rushton through the records described above.

Cybertrace’s June 2025 report records drug advertising under Tony’s name and recommends obtaining Telegram and internet-provider records.

Read the Cybertrace page

Police promised a referral. No matching record was found.

I will pass this on to the relevant officers for further consideration.

Tony used GIPA, the NSW process for requesting government records, to ask for documents showing that De Angeli passed on his drug-supply report.

In January 2026, police said searches found no matching referral records and that the requested information was not held.

A separate decision said police held no formal report or file note behind De Angeli’s identity-crime assessment.

In December 2025, Superintendent Jill Walters had declined further investigation, relying on De Angeli’s advice that the offence elements could not be substantiated. She referred Tony’s complaint to a standards inspector. That is separate from referring the drug-supply report to investigators.

What this meant for Tony

Prosecution 1 · Prosecution 2 · Prosecution 3

Later requests for review

On 20 August 2025, MP Alex Greenwich sent Cybertrace’s June report to Police Minister Yasmin Catley and asked for a Cybercrime Squad review.

On 16 March 2026, Tony asked for reassessment by an officer experienced in cybercrime or digital identity offences.

Source files

The original 11-page email chain is retained privately because it contains contacts and health details. This is a separate short summary.