"Investigators claim the 45-year-old quietly moved funds out of a series of business and trust accounts and into accounts he controlled, doing so repeatedly over close to two years. The money, detectives will allege in court, was then used to cover heavy gambling losses."
"According to police, the suspected conduct stretches back to April 2023 and continued until February 2025. Over that period, investigators believe about $14.8 million was diverted from client-controlled accounts and channelled into gambling activities before anyone detected what was happening."
"Solicitors hold a position of immense trust within our community, and the alleged conduct identified by Strike Force Salbrook is deeply concerning. This referral was instrumental in allowing detectives to uncover the full extent of the alleged conduct."
A 45-year-old solicitor from Bondi Junction faces four counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception after allegedly diverting approximately AUD 14.8 million from client-controlled business and trust accounts between April 2023 and February 2025. Police claim the funds were systematically transferred into accounts under his control and used to cover gambling losses. The NSW Law Society's September 2025 alert to authorities triggered an investigation by the NSW Police Financial Crimes Squad, establishing Strike Force Salbrook. Following months of forensic accounting analysis, the solicitor was arrested in February 2026 and refused bail. Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja emphasized the case's significance regarding professional trust and the solicitor's breach of community confidence.
Read at ReadWrite
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]