A Christchurch man’s dream garage arcade has ended in a dramatic police seizure, and now a rare pinball collection worth up to about NZ$170,000 is set to be auctioned after authorities said it was tied to a drug-dealing operation.
Kim Michael Dozier had been running a makeshift pinball venue known as Kimzone from his garage for several years. Locals, friends, family members, and pinball fans reportedly dropped by to play, and the space even hosted local tournaments. From the outside, it looked like a harmless home arcade built around a passion for classic coin-op fun.
That image changed after Kimzone was raided last May. Police executed a search warrant and alleged the garage arcade was being used as cover for a substantial illegal drug operation. Investigators said they found sizable amounts of MDMA, magic mushrooms, cocaine, ketamine, cannabis, and LSD throughout the property, with some of the drugs reportedly hidden inside the pinball machines themselves. Authorities estimated the street value of the narcotics at roughly NZ$125,000. Police also discovered NZ$45,500 in cash, packaged into 11 separate bundles.
Dozier was arrested following the raid, and the case moved through the courts. On March 3, 2026, he was sentenced at the Christchurch District Court to four years and one month in prison. During sentencing, Judge Stephen O’Driscoll said Dozier had been running a “relatively sophisticated operation” to support his lifestyle, particularly after becoming unemployed.
The story didn’t end with the prison term. This month, the High Court ordered the confiscation of Dozier’s pinball machines under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act, ruling they were “tainted property” connected to serious criminal activity. Estimates put the collection’s value between about NZ$150,000 and NZ$172,000—more than the assessed value of the drugs seized.
The collection reportedly includes modern machines from Stern, including popular recent themes such as Jaws and Godzilla, alongside older Williams tables that remain highly sought after by collectors. Police have seized the machines, and they are expected to be sold at auction to new owners.
Dozier’s lawyer, Andrew McKenzie, told the court his client accepted ownership of the pinball machines and did not oppose the police application. It was also noted that some machines had already been sold while Dozier was in custody.
For many in the local scene, the outcome is bittersweet. Kimzone had been viewed as a welcoming neighborhood spot to flip for high scores and enjoy a shared hobby. Now, the garage arcade that drew pinball fans in is gone, and a once-private collection will be dispersed to bidders as part of the legal fallout from the case.
