Kalem Rollason (22), a hammer hand, was convicted on four charges when he appeared in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.
He admitted possession of cannabis for supply, and supply of ecstasy, between May 1 and November 12; supply of LSD, and possession of ketamine for supply, between April 27 and November 12.
Prosecuting Sergeant Ian Collin said police began investigating Rollason's activities in August, obtaining text messages showing he had been selling LSD, ecstasy, ketamine and cannabis since April.
He would travel out of town every few weeks to buy the drugs, breaking them down into smaller amounts for resale, Sgt Collin said.
For the first three months or so of his offending, he sold the drugs in person at downtown drinking spots, but then switched to electronic communication with his customers, first by text message and then through social media app Snapchat.
The app was widely used by drug dealers in New Zealand to avoid detection by police, he said.
One of its features is pictures and messages are usually available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients.
When police searched his home on November 12, they found 16 tabs of LSD hidden behind a light switch cover plate.
The defendant, who co-operated with police during the search, told them he had sold the remaining tabs on the strip for $40 each.
He also admitted a large amount of cash found was from the sale of drugs.
Judge Alison McLeod convicted Rollason and remanded him on bail for sentencing on February 15.
