Latest news with #SutherlandShire
ABC News
20-05-2025
- ABC News
Australian man Geoffrey John Busch is on the FBI's most wanted list. We found him in Sydney
A fugitive on the FBI's most wanted list has been quietly living in Sydney for almost two decades. Geoffrey John Busch is wanted over an alleged investment scam in Florida in the early 2000s. The 78-year-old is accused of taking part in a $US12.3 million get rich quick scheme between 2002 and 2006, according to US court documents. Investors were allegedly told their funds would be placed in a non-existent "high-yield trading program", but the cash was siphoned into personal bank accounts. Mr Busch was indicted by a grand jury in Florida in 2007, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. The maximum sentence for wire fraud alone is 20 years in prison. In December, the FBI issued a new alert asking for public tip offs about his whereabouts. The ABC tracked Mr Busch down to a red brick home on a quiet cul-de-sac in the Sutherland Shire in southern Sydney. He denied he had been evading international authorities for almost 20 years. "I didn't rip off any investors at all. I was implicated in something I didn't have any involvement in." The Caringbah grandfather has not attempted to conceal his identity or location. On social media, under his full name, he even lists his current city as "Sydney". He said he was aware of the wanted poster but was not in hiding. "I've been living. I've been living in a family environment," he said. According to the indictment in the US District Court, he allegedly received more than $US1.3 million between 2004 and 2005 from the investment scheme. Mr Busch is accused of using the proceeds to buy a $US500,000 Riviera 43 yacht, pay his son's $US21,300 criminal defence legal bills and pay off a $US40,000 personal debt. Property records suggest his Caringbah home was purchased in 2004, mortgage free. Mr Busch's solicitor Sam Macedone said his client received "above board" commissions for referring investors, but Mr Busch was unaware it was a scam. The FBI issued a federal warrant for Mr Busch's arrest in 2007 and alerted the Australian government. In the same year, US man Ray Allen Benton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to the Florida scam. Court documents list Mr Benton and Mr Busch as "co-conspirators". Mr Benton was sentenced to five years' prison, which was later reduced to three. The American man was ordered to pay back investors and forfeit his private jet and Mercedes-Benz. At the time, US prosecutors also attempted to seize Mr Busch's yacht but were unsuccessful. In 2015 a US court updated Mr Busch's status to "fugitive". The Australian man first appeared on the FBI's most wanted list in 2018, after his indictment was unsealed. He is one of 35 alleged white-collar criminals featured on the website, alongside others such as Russian man Roman Semenov, who is accused of creating a cryptocurrency mixer used by North Korean hackers to launder money. Mr Macedone said he did not know why his client was still being hunted, as he had previously been interviewed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) "on behalf of the FBI" in November 2006 and January 2007 and did not hear anything further. Since returning to Australia, Mr Busch has allegedly racked up a substantial tax debt. Court records show the Australian Tax Office (ATO) attempted to bankrupt Mr Busch in 2017 over $3.5 million in alleged unpaid taxes. However, a sequestration order to seize his assets does not appear to have been made. Mr Busch remains an undischarged bankrupt, according to the national personal insolvency index, which means he is disqualified from being a company director in Australia. The failed businessman, who once owned a Delta Home Video company, was previously bankrupted in 1994. Mr Macedone said his client denies "ever receiving a bankruptcy notice from the ATO" and was "charged with non-lodgement of tax returns some time ago but was not fined or penalised". The ATO declined to comment. The Attorney-General's Department was unable to confirm if the US had ever sought Mr Busch's extradition. Court records suggest the attorney-general has not asked a judge or magistrate to determine if Mr Busch is eligible for surrender, which is the typical process once a request is made. Prominent criminal defence lawyer Zarah Garde-Wilson, who has worked on high-profile extradition cases, said it was likely the US had not made an extradition request. "Typically, people only get extradited in relation to murder, if it's terrorism-related or if they don't have citizenship status in Australia." Ms Zarah Garde-Wilson said it was clear the US knew where he was, and the charges appeared to meet the threshold for extradition under the treaty. A former senior political figure, who was unable to comment publicly, said if an extradition request had been made, it would be "highly unusual" for Australia not to pursue it, given the request is from a "friendly" country like the US. He also said the FBI could make a direct request for assistance at any time, which would be "inconceivable" for Australia to ignore. The FBI, AFP, US and Australian governments declined to comment on the case.
News.com.au
14-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Buraneer home of Matthew and Kelsea Doyle listed for sale for around $2.5m
The contemporary Burraneer home of Sutherland Shire couple, Matthew and Kelsea Doyle, has been listed for sale through Highland Property. Buyers have been advised it should fetch more than $2.5m. Matthew Doyle was a property developer who went to prison after trying to smuggle $85m worth of cocaine into Australia in 2019. The then father-of-one was sentenced in 2020 to a non-parole minimum of five years after he pleaded guilty to commercial drug supply and dealing with proceeds of crime. Kelsea Doyle, who was not involved in the plot, stood by her husband. He was released back in the community with an ankle monitoring bracelet last year, but photos taken last week by The Daily Telegraph suggested it appears that it is now off. After his release, the couple had a second child in December. Their 2019-built home is registered solely in Matthew Doyle's name. It had a caveat placed on its title in 2019 by the NSW Crime Commission which prevents any sale or mortgage refinancing by Doyle without the permission of authorities. It remains on title. Last week another caveat appeared on title described as arising from a loan agreement executed in April by the registered proprietor and the caveators, Jorden and Tallie-Bree Minos as the lenders. Tallie-Bree is the sister of publicist Kelsea Nagel Doyle, who had previously worked as a publicist for fashion brands including Ksubi, Josh Goot and Camilla and Marc. The Burraneer home replaced an older style brick home which Doyle bought in 2017 for $1.64m and then demolished. He created dual-occupancy homes costing $969,000, according to plans lodged by Couvaras Architect. Doyle had sold the other half of the duplex in 2018 for $2m. Doyle's prior projects in the shire included the Cronulla apartment complex, Tara Maree, and townhouses on Dudley Ave, Caringbah South.
ABC News
11-05-2025
- ABC News
Cash purchase of boat leads to massive cocaine haul
Police have seized more than a tonne of cocaine worth over $600 million after allegedly finding the drugs on a boat off the New South Wales coast. Police say they were alerted to the operation when the motor cruiser boat was purchased for $500,000 with cash in Sydney's Sutherland Shire last month.
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- The Guardian
Five arrests after more than a tonne of cocaine allegedly found on motorboat off NSW coast
More than a tonne of cocaine has been seized off the east coast of Australia and five men arrested after police raided a suspicious motorboat. Detectives said they were tipped off about the purchase of a 13-metre-long boat with a large sum of cash in Sydney's Sutherland shire on 28 April. Police said they began investigating and intercepted the vessel on Friday as it was travelling towards South West Rocks on the New South Wales mid-north coast. Officers allegedly found 1,110 blocks of cocaine together weighing more than a tonne on board. Police estimated this amount of cocaine was worth $623m on the street. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board while another three men, aged 28, 29 and 35, were taken into custody on shore after officers stopped two cars allegedly trying to leave the area. Searches of Newcastle homes led to police seizing electronic devices, documents, clothing and cash. The two men on board the boat have been charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group. The three men on shore were charged with taking part in supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group. All five faced Parramatta bail court on Saturday where they were formally refused bail to appear at Coffs Harbour local court on 15 July. 'Australia's vast coastline is attractive to organised crime groups, who attempt to exploit this by trying to import drugs using boats,' Australian federal police assistant commissioner Stephen Dametto said in a statement. 'The bad news for them is the AFP will continue to work together with our partners to target organised crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Massive cocaine bust after motorboat tracked off coast
More than a tonne of cocaine has been seized off the east coast and five men arrested after police raided a suspicious motorboat. Detectives were tipped off about the suspicious purchase of the 13-metre-long boat with a large sum of cash in Sydney's Sutherland Shire on April 28. Police said they began investigating and intercepted the vessel on Friday as it was travelling towards South West Rocks on NSW's northern coast. Officers allegedly found 1110 blocks of cocaine together weighing more than a tonne on board. Police estimated this amount of cocaine is worth $623 million on the street. Two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on board while another three men, aged 28, 29 and 35, were taken into custody on shore after officers stopped two cars trying to leave the area. Searches of Newcastle homes led to police seizing electronic devices, documents, clothing and cash. The two men on board the boat have been charged with supplying a prohibited drug - large commercial quantity and participating in a criminal group. The three men on shore were charged with taking part in supplying a prohibited drug - large commercial quantity and participating in a criminal group. All five faced Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday where they were formally refused bail to appear at Coffs Harbour Local Court on July 15. "Australia's vast coastline is attractive to organised crime groups, who attempt to exploit this by trying to import drugs using boats," Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dametto said in a statement. "The bad news for them is the AFP will continue to work together with our partners to target organised crime syndicates who wrongly believe they can operate with impunity."
