Aussie Accountant and Playing Addict Charged With Fraud For Allegedly Stealing $17M

Australian accountant Ben Carter seemingly gained’t be round for the delivery of his child, to listen to the primary phrases spoken, or see the primary steps taken. As an alternative, he’ll most likely be in jail for allegedly stealing AU$26 million (US$17 million) from shoppers to fund his luxurious life-style and love of playing.

Australian accountant Ben Carter carrying a go well with in a fitness center. He faces fees of stealing thousands and thousands of {dollars} from shoppers to fund a playing life-style. (Picture: Each day Telegraph)

Police in Sydney, Australia, arrested Carter this previous Tuesday after a one-month investigation uncovered the proof prosecutors wanted. Together with him, the authorities additionally took his accomplice, Amy Steele, into custody.

A choose denied Carter bail when he made his first look in court docket, arguing that he’s a flight threat. It may be for his personal good, as he allegedly has ties to a serious organized crime syndicate.

Enjoyable Whereas it Lasted

Most of the particulars surrounding the investigation and what led investigators to focus on Carter are nonetheless underneath wraps. Nonetheless, in response to completely different media sources, he allegedly scammed a minimum of eight shoppers out of thousands and thousands of {dollars} over the course of a number of years.

Carter, the proprietor of Carter’s Tax Advisory within the metropolis of Penrith, faces 16 fees. Amongst these are “acquiring monetary benefit by deception,” “knowingly coping with the proceeds of crime,” and unlawful drug possession. The latter stems from a search of his house in Silverdale on the time of the arrest, which uncovered hint quantities of what investigators consider is cocaine.

25-year-old Steele, who additionally labored as Carter’s receptionist, was picked up a bit later. Police discovered her at an unspecified enterprise in Penrith, and she or he now faces fees of “recklessly coping with the proceeds of crime better than $5,000 (US$3,433).”

Not like Carter, Steele obtained bail quickly after her arrest. She is reportedly cooperating with regulation enforcement because the investigation continues.

The Each day Mail identified that Steele is pregnant, in response to a Fb publish. She allegedly assisted Carter in protecting up his scheme, however didn’t have a serious function. She’ll seem in court docket later this month to study what’s going to occur subsequent. Whereas Carter sits in a jail cell, he’ll have to attend till September to current his aspect of the story in court docket.

Ties to Questionable Parts

Amongst Carter’s enterprise relationships has been a craft beer model, Drink West. The corporate’s house owners, along with its traders, are Nathan Cleary of the Nationwide Rugby League and Australian UFC heavyweight fighter Tai Tuivasa.

At one level, Carter was allegedly the chief monetary officer for Drink West. His accounting agency seems on filings the corporate offered to the Australian Securities and Investments Fee.

That relationship seems to be innocuous, and neither investigators nor prosecutors consider anybody linked to Drink West was concerned in Carter’s actions. The identical can’t be stated for a distinct relationship, the one he allegedly had with the Alameddine crime syndicate.

Carter’s dealings with the Alameddine group aren’t clear. The syndicate is allegedly a big household of Arab origins with a whole disregard for the regulation. Through the years, police have arrested its members for all kinds of crimes, together with drug trafficking, violence, avenue racing, and extra.

In Might of final yr, New South Wales police proclaimed that it was profitable in breaking apart the Alameddine gang, “one in all Sydney’s most harmful crime households.” Since then, together with as lately as final month, extra members of the gang have been arrested.

When police arrested Carter on Tuesday, they seized varied gadgets, together with paperwork, computer systems, and extra. As knowledge analysts sift by way of all the data, it’s attainable they’ll uncover extra particulars of Carter’s involvement with the gang.