Paul Pisasale faces jail term after being found guilty of extortion

Prosecutors will argue for a sentence of three to four years’ jail after disgraced former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale was found guilty of extortion.

PAUL Pisasale was last night behind bars and facing a ­prison sentence after being convicted of extorting the ex-boyfriend of a Chinese escort he met for a sexual massage.

The former Ipswich mayor, 67, was led away by court ­security yesterday after the jury returned a guilty verdict on two counts of extortion at the end of a seven-day ­Brisbane District Court trial.

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Former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale guilty on extortion charges

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He was to be held in custody overnight pending his sentencing yesterday afternoon, with Crown prosecutors arguing for a head sentence of three to four years’ jail.

His co-accused, China-born escort worker Yutian Li, 39, was also convicted of two counts of extortion, while ­Ipswich solicitor Cameron McKenzie, 37, was found guilty of one extortion count.

The conviction centres on demands for money Pisasale made of Li’s Sydney taxi driver ex-boyfriend soon after the then mayor met her for a massage, which included sexual services, in January 2017.

They continued seeing each other, going shopping on the Gold Coast, chatting via WeChat, eating Korean food and spending time in Melbourne.

But unknown to Pisasale, his phone calls were being listened in on by the Crime and Corruption Commission as part of its investigation into Ipswich council.

Those phone calls led investigators to a bizarre extortion case, picking up the then-mayor posing first as a phone telemarketer, then as a private investigator.

The extraordinary ruse was part of an attempted extortion targeting Li’s ex-boyfriend. Li had by then told him of being left “heartbroken” by her ex, who she said had promised to marry her, only to later dump her over the phone by saying he was dying.

Pisasale claims that Li told him she had spent up to $10,000 trying to “find out the truth” about her ex-lover by coming to Australia, including on investigations.

But the prosecution proved Pisasale knew there was no private investigator, just him posing as one.

Pisasale first posed as ­telemarketer “George Robinson”, learning the ex-boyfriend was married.

“You need to punishing my ex-boyfriend (sic)”, Li later messaged Pisasale.

He replies “yes” before pretending to be a private investigator in a series of calls with the man Xin Li.

Pisasale initially demands $10,000 for the cost of Li ­finding out the truth, then later varying sums.

When he resists, Pisasale threatens a $200,000 lawsuit.

He also says he will talk to the Government, and he “knows the Immigration Minister”.

“I’m a private investigator. She just wants to find out the truth, otherwise we will be proceeding with court action,” he tells the man.

“A very public court case. Are you prepared to give her money to go away?” he asks.

Pisasale later instructs McKenzie to write a letter of demand, telling him: “I rang the guy yesterday pretending I was a private investigator.”

That letter of demand was later sent for $8400, including $6100 for a private investigator.