Melissa Caddick's husband, Anthony Koletti to face court over alleged assault of 73-year-old woman- near where wife disappeared five years ago
Koletti has been charged with one count of common assault over the alleged incident which occurred at Vaucluse on Wednesday, July 25.
'A 73-year woman reported to police that she had been assaulted by a man about 5pm ... in Lighthouse Reserve at Vaucluse." NSW Police said in a statement.
Police also made an appeal to the public earlier this week requesting information to identify an unknown man in a black Under Armour t-shirt, black cap and sunglasses.
Images published in the appeal shows the man walking through a park in Sydney's east.
Koletti attended Waverley Police Station on Wednesday, where officers laid charges over the incident. He is due to face court on September 5, 2025, to learn his fate.
This is not the first time Koletti has been in the media spotlight.
Ms Caddick vanished in November 2020 following raids by ASIC and the Australian Federal Police on her luxurious Dover Heights home in the city's east.
They were investigating an alleged Ponzi scheme she was running which saw her take about $23 million from those she defrauded, which included family and close friends, but there was never an accusation of wrongdoing against her husband over the missing money.
A couple of months later, Caddick's decomposing foot inside a running shoe washed up more than 450 kilometres from her home onto a New South Wales South Coast beach.
Koletti told detectives at the time his wife had left on the morning of November 12, a day after the police raid, for a run in the affluent suburb.
She had left behind her keys, wallet, and never returned home. The mysterious disappearance of the conwoman has left the nation puzzled for years.
A coroner ruled Caddick died, but was unable to determine what contributed to her death.
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ABC News
10 minutes ago
- ABC News
Identity of NSW man behind $19m 'ethical' internet scheme horrifies customers
It was pitched as the opposite of the dark web, an "ethical" version of the internet, raising as much as $19 million from backers sold on an Australian man's promise of the "Lightweb". But after 12 years and funds from up to 2,000 "mum and dad" investors from all over the world, the Equilux Lightweb still has not launched. Many customers are now pulling out of the ambitious scheme after learning the man behind it has not been using his legal name, and that he has previously been sanctioned by the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The ABC can reveal that Lightweb's founder — David Stryker — is really David Dayan Sevelle, a NSW man the financial watchdog sued in 2006 for running an unregistered investment scheme that left 70 "unsophisticated" investors out of pocket to the tune of $13 million. The financial watchdog shut down the scheme and imposed permanent bans on Mr Sevelle. ASIC confirmed to the ABC it was now making "preliminary inquiries" into the Lightweb scheme. It comes as Mr Sevelle, currently residing in Thailand, has been holding weekly "meritocratic" training over Zoom, teaching his followers how to behave morally for when the alternative internet launches, while preaching that "transparency is key". Do you know more about this or have a similar story? Email The Lightweb claims to be a superior, safer version of the internet through its requirement that users verify their identity to stamp out paedophiles and other online criminals. "It was going to be a platform that was effectively impervious to corruption," said Sydneysider David Coffey, who was won over by the premise and ended up putting $160,000 into the Lightweb project. But Mr Coffey desperately wanted out as he learned more about the company's founder in 2023. "He [Sevelle] moved to Thailand, which really raised a hell of a lot of eyebrows," he said. "Then we found out about the ASIC stuff and I started to get really uneasy." Mr Sevelle declined to be interviewed by the ABC because: "We are preparing for a Website Launch [sic] and will do press releases accordingly at that time." He did send lengthy responses to questions via email. Those involved in the Lightweb scheme have not been buying shares. They have been pre-purchasing advertising slots, called broadcast certificates, for when the platform goes live. It means the venture is technically not an investment scheme, and therefore does not require a financial services licence. It also does not receive as much scrutiny from regulators. The ABC has obtained one broadcast certificate where Mr Sevelle signed off under the name David Stryker. In his statement to the ABC, Mr Sevelle said he had not lied about his real identity and was simply using a "professional name" the same way actors, writers and influencers did. He said it was a "privacy barrier" to protect "unwanted commercial IP theft attempts" and also because the digital currency industry "can be very dangerous with nefarious and bad actors". "I have never hidden behind this name and still operate my own company and register domain names and trademarks and IP under my name," he said. "I wonder if you were interviewing Marilyn Monroe [if she was alive], P!NK, John Wayne [if he was alive], Nicholas Cage, Emilio Estevez and Katy Perry and many others that you would be accusing them of being deceptive "fake namers" like you did me." An information pack that a sales agency distributed in 2017 promised massive returns on these broadcast certificates, projecting they would sell for between eight and 25 times their original price. The internal document also stated the Lightweb platform would be worth $10 billion when it finally launched. Mr Sevelle told the ABC, "We never promise a fixed rate of return", and said this document was not "authorised marketing content". "When discovered, our management team pulled the document from circulation immediately, and this led to, in part, the triggering of formal dissolution of the sales agency," he said. He went on to say he was confident "we will exceed the 25 per cent product value increase" in the future. The Lightweb program has expanded its offering and announced plans to create its own virtual currency, including one called the StrykerCoin. To date, the platform still does not have an active website or a product and missed its own most recent deadline of a May launch. Mr Sevelle said there had been multiple delays due to "outside influences" such as "limited early development funding", the COVID pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis. He said he expected the platform to launch within 90 days after dealing with a "trademark challenge". The Lightweb project operates under companies registered in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, including Create2tech Pty Ltd, Stryker Design, StrykerFusion and Stryker Design International. Mr Sevelle's third wife, Noppakao Yingnok, a Thai and Australian citizen, is registered as the sole director of these businesses. When the ABC asked Ms Yingnok questions about the operations of her companies, she said to "talk to David". Mr Sevelle said he shared responsibilities between himself, the leadership team, the consulting team, and his wife in managing the businesses and was a "key decision maker". An internal report from 2023 showed Mr Sevelle was not the director of the Lightweb business but appeared to have been making a sizeable amount of money. A company called Elleves Pty Ltd, which is "Sevelle" spelt backwards, was paid $250,000 in "consulting fees" in 2020 and 2021. Mr Sevelle is listed as the sole director of Elleves. In his statement to the ABC, Mr Sevelle said he had originally loaned money to the Lightweb companies to get them off the ground and that the $500,000 payment to Elleves Pty Ltd was an "accumulation over years" of uncharged fees. He claimed there was no direct benefit paid to him and that he was paid a salary of $50,000. Concerns among Lightweb members mounted when Mr Sevelle and Ms Yingnok moved overseas to Thailand, permanently, in early 2023. Around the same time, news of Mr Sevelle's real identity broke among his supporters, and his past was laid bare. ASIC sued Mr Sevelle in the Federal Court in 2006 for running a property venture that "made statements to clients that were misleading or deceptive" and for "improperly assisting clients to obtain loans to invest in the scheme". Mr Sevelle ran a slew of property companies, trading under the name Mega Money, operating in the Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley, South Coast and Canberra regions, with the intention of pulling together enough mum-and-dad investors to pay for stamp duty and development approvals on blocks of land, and sell them at a profit to developers. But ASIC froze the Mega Money companies by court order, and eventually they were all forced into liquidation. In an affidavit filed with the Federal Court, the court-appointed liquidator, Justin Walsh of Ernst & Young, said Mr Sevelle spent "significant sums of money" from the company on "personal purposes". Those included an $86,000 antique "sloop" yacht, moored in the Toronto Yacht Club, and also "a large number of cash withdrawals" from ATMs. "Large sums of money" also went into Mr Sevelle and his then-wife's personal house and two investment units. He was not married to Ms Yingnok at that time. Two of these properties were sold before the liquidator could lodge a caveat to protect creditor interests at the site. "The [company] accounts were replete with inconsistent treatment of recurring transactions, unexplained transactions, and fundamental balancing errors," the liquidator added. The "majority" of investors had borrowed against their homes to invest in the scheme, and many had dipped into their superannuation as well, Mr Walsh's report noted. Mr Sevelle was banned permanently through court-ordered enforceable undertakings from providing financial advice, dealing in financial products, and carrying on a financial services business, including through the promotion and operation of any managed investment scheme. Separately, ASIC also permanently banned Mr Sevelle from financial services. "It definitely affected our retirement," said a Mega Money investor from Maitland, near Newcastle. Another couple from the local area, who lost $90,000 from the property scheme, said of Mr Sevelle: "He could probably sell coal to Newcastle [like] ice to Eskimos. We fell into that trap quite easily." Mr Sevelle told the ABC that "there was no impropriety" in the Mega Money collapse and that he was not fined or charged over anything. "ATM withdrawals, antiques, jewellery, any personal purchases made were from post-income tax paid earnings for those personal purchases," he added. As Lightweb customers learned the full extent of Mr Sevelle's past, he released a lengthy statement to explain the situation and his decision to change his name. He claimed ASIC found a "glitch" in the way he ran his property companies where he was treating all his businesses as one, which meant he was over the limit of investment funds and was running an unregistered managed scheme. "I had been treated like a pariah for no reason other than one technical accounting glitch," he wrote. "I apologise I did not disclose this to you at the initial outset of the business recruitment process, but I am sure you will appreciate my position and my actions to best nurture the project. "I do not wish my name to be associated to this project till we are secure, launched and commercially sound. "I hope you can understand this explanation … Transparency is key." He signed off as "David Sevelle AKA David Stryker (professional name)." Despite the explanations, a 2023 company document showed 90 people demanded refunds from the Lightweb scheme. Customers had been promised full refunds, but Mr Coffey, the Sydneysider who put $160,000 into the Lightweb project, alleged the company was "putting up walls everywhere", including placing a limit on how much he would receive monthly. He ended up having to engage lawyers, and it took until the end of last year to get all his money back. "Our client is understandably concerned about the legitimacy of your business and ability to refund his investment pursuant to your agreement with him," the legal letter, addressed to Noppakao Yingnok and David Stryker, read. "Our client has since been advised that you will now be paying the remainder of the refund by way of $10,000 payments over 10 months. "Your company has no standing to set these repayment terms with our client. Your contract with our client provides that a full refund is available upon request." Mr Sevelle told the ABC that, for cashflow reasons, refunds of more than $10,000 could not be paid in a lump sum. "It is not prudent to do so, as we are not a bank," he said. "No-one was ever boxed into staying. No startups or scale-ups have ever refunded pre-launch that we are aware of." Mr Sevelle has previously told his customers on a video call that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has audited the business numerous times due to the number of self-managed super funds in the scheme. The ATO told the ABC it would not comment on specific cases or confirm if an investigation was underway. In a statement, a spokesperson said: "The ATO encourages anyone setting up an SMSF [self-managed super fund] to ensure they understand what is involved in running their own super fund, and that they are ready and able to meet these obligations." The ABC has spoken to multiple people, who did not want to be identified, who said the company's most recent sales rhetoric involved encouraging investors to mortgage their homes to obtain more money. Morgan, 26, from Newcastle, said her father was so taken with the Lightweb idea he was considering retiring early so he could put his long service leave into the scheme. His family convinced him not to, but he is now looking into mortgaging the family home. He has already put $40,000 into the scheme. "It's definitely caused a lot of tension, especially because I feel like Mum and Dad have worked so hard for everything they have, and to have someone convince my dad to hand that over, it's just mind-boggling, like it's insane," Morgan said. Barry Urquhart, 66, from Newcastle, bought $7,000 worth of broadcast certificates several years ago. When he tried to put in more money through his superannuation, he said his accountant would not authorise it. "He said it [the Lightweb] was nothing; it was just a dream," Mr Urquhart said. Mr Urquhart has since gotten his money back and reported the company to ASIC. Mr Sevelle said in his statement to the ABC that: "The truth is that if they [customers] are no longer in our organisation and they have been refunded what they were entitled to, they of course will not want us to succeed, as our success will then be their failure." "I am sorry for both you and I, that you did not see this as a bigger story of innovation, empowerment, job creation and unlimited opportunities," he said. Mr Sevelle "will dance you around like you're on Dancing with the Stars," said one Lightweb customer who did not want to speak on the record. "He likes to use so much financial technical jargon and acronyms to confuse the hell out of people," they said. Others have described Mr Sevelle as having the "gift of the gab" and went as far as saying it felt like a cult of personality. Mr Sevelle has been holding hours-long "moral" training sessions every week over Zoom for years, where he teaches his followers how to behave like "meritocrats" for when the Lightweb finally launches. Some of these sessions involve movie nights, such as watching The Big Short and Eat the Rich. "There were so many people who drank the Kool-Aid and were calling him the Messiah," said Mr Coffey, the Sydney customer who had taken his money out. "It was constantly reinforced how blessed we were to be in the company at this time of imminent launch … so we had better buy more of the upcoming new investments before it's too late," said another customer, on condition of anonymity. ASIC said it was "aware of concerns related to these entities and is making preliminary inquiries". The financial regulator added: "Speaking generally, super-switching misconduct is an increasing concern for ASIC." "We are seeing more and more reports of people being targeted by pushy, high-pressure sales tactics into switching their super into high-risk, complex schemes," a spokesperson said. "Other red flags include high-pressure sales tactics, poor or even non-existent product disclosure, and promises of unrealistically high returns." Mr Sevelle said he welcomed both ASIC and the ATO looking into the Lightweb businesses.
ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
Body found in search for woman swept away by floodwaters near Cessnock
A body has been found during the search for a woman who was swept into floodwaters in the NSW Hunter region on Saturday night. The search, which has been operating during daylight hours since the 26-year-old Chinese woman went missing, involved multiple agencies, including rescue divers. In a statement, a NSW Police spokesperson said Volunteer Rescue Association members found a body on Wednesday. "While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing woman," the statement said. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia on a work visa and was swept away by floodwaters when the car she was travelling in was driven over a causeway in a small car at Rothbury near Cessnock. The 27-year-old driver was able to escape the water, finding safety on an embankment with her dog, where she was then rescued. Police said the women were attempting to return to Sydney, where they lived, after becoming concerned about the risk of flooding. A report will be prepared for the NSW coroner. More to come.
The Advertiser
17 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'One-trick pony' MP bucks off parliament censure motion
A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031. A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031. A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031. A high-profile politician known for his brash and outspoken antics has been branded a one-trick pony after fending off a Labor-led censure bid. The failed motion against Mark Latham came after the one-time prime ministerial hopeful used parliamentary privilege in the NSW upper house to reveal details about a police commissioner and an independent MP. He has been embroiled in several scandals, including taking photos of women MPs without their knowledge, for which he has already apologised. But an attempt to have Australia's oldest parliamentary chamber officially censure him has failed, after the coalition opposition, the Greens and minor party MPs voted to adjourn the motion until October. The powerful privileges committee is investigating several complaints about Mr Latham, with some reports due back in October. The NSW government's upper house leader described the 16-to-22 vote loss as disappointing. "Mark Latham is a serial offender," Penny Sharpe told reporters on Wednesday. "There's no one he won't go after (and) there's no one he won't double down on. "We should be a model workplace, not a degenerate workplace." She also noted he called her an "ignorant pig" and her colleagues "disgusting frauds" during the chamber debate on Tuesday. Premier Chris Minns said MPs needed to "draw a line in the sand" and criticised Mr Latham for his sustained personal attacks on his political foes under parliamentary privilege. "That's his modus operandi. He goes after anyone who holds him to account ... he's a one-trick pony," he said. Mr Latham also used Tuesday night's debate to level unsubstantiated sexual harassment allegations against the premier, who declined to respond. "I'm not going to detail them one by one as if to give it credence or importance or it has been backed with some shred of evidence or information," Mr Minns said. Labor's motion was first flagged in June after Mr Latham aired information that now-former NSW police commissioner Karen Webb purchased dozens of bottles of gin using taxpayer money to hand out as gifts, and discussed the medical records of independent MP Alex Greenwich. That followed a court ordering Mr Latham to pay $140,000 in damages to Mr Greenwich in September 2024 over a sexually explicit and homophobic social media post that resulted in a defamation case. He had been referred to the privileges committee for an investigation, with a report on matters involving Ms Webb and NSW Police due in October. Mr Latham defended bringing up information about Ms Webb, arguing the public had a right to know because of an "undeclared conflict of interest" and relationship to the gin distillery owners. But he also hinted, without evidence, that the Minns government had covered up a sexual assault that took place in the NSW Parliament. He called several ministers "cowards and curs and quislings". In July, Mr Latham denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by a former partner. The woman made a private application for an apprehended domestic violence order at a local court in Sydney. Mr Latham resigned from federal parliament in 2005 and was ejected from the Labor Party before being elected to the NSW upper house in 2019 as a One Nation member. He quit that party in 2023, becoming an independent, with his term expiring in 2031.
