Russell Laurence Kefford: Accused Mansfield money launderer in court after dramatic yacht intercept

A Mansfield man allegedly caught laundering more than $2 million obtained by fraud has finally been named after being found stranded at sea near South America aboard his $92,000 luxury yacht.

A Mansfield man allegedly caught laundering more than $2 million obtained by fraud has finally faced court after being found stranded at sea near South America aboard his $92,000 luxury yacht.

Russell Laurence Kefford, 66, appeared in district court at Beenleigh on Friday charged with one count of money laundering knowingly.

The court heard Kefford allegedly opened up numerous bank accounts across multiple banks and jurisdictions for the purpose of laundering $2,124,747.63 that he ought reasonably to have known was tainted property in 2019.

The 66-year-old first came to the attention of Queensland Police as a suspect of money laundering offences after a sum of money was forwarded from his account to an unknown person in Malaysia.

Kefford told police he had been contacted and told he had won the lottery in Germany and in order to obtain the winnings he was directed to open different bank account and transfer the money overseas.

Police issued him with a warning to stop his involvement with the scam but he allegedly continued laundering money.

The court heard a file management company allegedly received a fraudulent email directing them to transfer $196,843.90 to a bank account held by Kefford on October 11, 2019, and another private lending business in Victoria also received a fraudulent email to transfer $63,814.44 to an account held by Kefford in April 2019.

A law firm also allegedly received a fraudulent email to send $600,000 to a bank account held by Kefford on September 13, 2019, with a further $590,000 was deposited on September 29, 2019.

A solicitor in Victoria allegedly had her email system hacked and received a fraudulent email to transfer $674,099.29 to a bank account held by Kefford before police were later notified.

The court heard Kefford told police he had been contacted again and told that the Malaysian government owed him $5.5 billion which had accumulated in an investment fund.

Kefford said he was told he needed to open up Australian bank accounts to allow them to transfer money to him.

He told police he had predominantly been directed to transfer the funds in those accounts by international transfer or on certain occasions into other Australian accounts.

He claimed to have realised he had gotten involved in money laundering again in September and decided not to transfer the $590,000 amount and he began receiving threatening calls and emails.

He travelled overseas on December 25, 2019, and purchased a $92,000 catamaran yacht before returning on February 14, 2020.

He was issued a notice to appear by police for March 11, 2020, but he left the country again on February 22, 2020.

He was later located aboard a yacht by the Netherlands coast guard when his vessel was found dead in the water some 35 nautical miles north of Aruba on March 25, 2020.

He and another passenger claimed to be sailing back to Australia but the route they were on suggested they were heading towards either Haiti or the Dominican Republic.

Kefford’s lawyer said his client was receiving death threats and left the country out of fear for his safety.

The court heard Kefford had allegedly used $92,000 of the money he had received to purchase the catamaran yacht and at least $2,762 on daily purchases in Queensland.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said Kefford wasn’t an unintelligent man and had completed a Bachelor of science at the University of Queensland.

“I think it was just sheer greed of wanting money that you really hadn’t earned at all,” he said.

“You had a warning from the police service previously and you just decided to continue on with it.

“It is extraordinary given a man of your background that you should engage in all of this.”

Kefford was supposed to enter a plea but the matter was adjourned so he could seek further legal advice.