A Mill Park man who allegedly duped AFL fans with the promise of grand final tickets will face court in April after being charged with dealing with proceeds of crime.
The 24-year-old will face Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court in April, accused of allegedly profiting from fake AFL grand final tickets to last year’s MCG decider between Geelong and Sydney that were never passed on to the hopeful fans.
A police investigation into an alleged scam centred around fraudulent AFL grand final tickets.Credit:Scott Barbour
A source familiar with the investigation told The Age multiple victims were caught up in the alleged scam, which raked in as much as $30,000.
The scammer is accused of offering the tickets at a cost of $450 each, but after victims transferred their money, they did not receive their tickets.
“Whittlesea Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a man with dealing with proceeds of crime,” police said. “The charge relates to an investigation into the alleged fraudulent sale of 2022 AFL grand final tickets.
“The 24-year-old Mill Park man has been bailed to the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on 6 April.”
Screenshots were allegedly doctored and sent to the victims to indicate funds had been refunded, but those funds never reached the victims.
The accused is a keen punter well known among the racing Twitter community as a tipster with an interest in both horse racing and American basketball.
Meanwhile, a licensed racehorse stablehand has been disqualified for 10 years from racing for selling shares in horses that never existed.
Shane Gardiner did not attend the Victorian Racing Tribunal on January 16 where he faced three charges of dishonest, fraudulent and improper conduct.
Stewards alleged Gardiner sold two shares for $3750 and another for $1250, but no ownership paperwork was completed, no horses were ever produced, and only $500 was ever refunded or recovered.
Early in the stewards’ investigation, Gardiner told stewards he had a gambling problem and the proceeds from the fraudulent sales went towards fuelling his addiction.
Gardiner ceased co-operating with stewards seven months ago, and failed to attend a stewards’ inquiry in September.
Given his absence, the tribunal found him guilty of all three charges, as well as a fourth charge of failing to follow stewards’ directions, and imposed a 10-year disqualification from racing.
“The three victims concerned placed their trust, and their money, in the hands of Mr Gardiner,” judge John Bowman wrote in his tribunal findings.
“In particular, they so placed that trust because he was a stablehand – that is, a licensed member of the racing industry. He betrayed that trust.
“That has a direct and adverse impact upon the image of the industry … that is over and above the impact upon the three victims of the behaviour of Mr Gardiner. Each has lost a significant amount of money.”
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