A Gold Coast man who allegedly ran a common funding scam worth almost $12 million has been charged with 25 fraud offenses. Anthony David Gray, fifty-four, from Paradise Point became arrested in New Zealand and deported to Australia in a single day. Mr. Gray has seemed within the Brisbane Magistrates Court on 25 counts of fraud and did now not follow for bail. His arrest follows year-lengthy research, dubbed Operation Quebec Kidback, following multiple complaints from human beings in Australia and distant places. Mr. Gray’s alleged victims trusted his prison and financial advice, delivering masses of lots of dollars in what they thought changed into a sound assets funding scheme. Police have alleged that between May 2007 and November 2016, Mr. Gray — appearing as a solicitor and economic planner — ran a bogus property investment scheme based on brief-time period bridging loans below some organizations supposedly based totally in New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Mr. Gray, whose employer call become Synergy Gray Professional Services, allegedly promised investors that developers would pay big hobby for funds borrowed over a quick period till the banks funded the builders’ initiatives. Police stated the scheme did not exist. Mr. Gray’s co-accused, a seventy two-12 months-antique female, became arrested at a domestic on Dornoch Terrace in Highgate Hill on January 31. She seemed in the courtroom on February 25, charged with nine counts of fraud. To date, 21 alleged sufferers from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the United Kingdom, the USA, and Europe have come forward with losses totaling $eleven,960,000.
It is said one couple misplaced $2,814,416 and some other female misplaced $2, half,000. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Paskin said police had received a further six lawsuits with regards to the scheme and believed more alleged victims can also still come ahead. Asked about the connection among Mr. Gray and his co-accused, Detective Senior Sergeant Paskin said they had been business companions. He stated the alleged sufferers, who were either acknowledged to the pair or referred by others, had invested their non-public financial savings. “People have probably misplaced their whole superannuation financial savings as a result of this investment scheme,” he stated. It has been alleged Mr. Gray had a historical past in regulation and finance; however, did no longer hold qualifications on time. “We’ll allege that the offenders had been not certified to act as solicitors or monetary planners and this highlights the significance of questioning each element of proposed funding broadly,” Detective Senior Sergeant Paskin said. Detective Senior Sergeant Paskin alleged the 54-year-old left Australia in February 2017 to escape creditors. The case will return to court docket on April 1.
