Gold Coast man John Wheatland charged with fraud and money laundering

The name of a Gold Coast man facing accusations of money laundering and defrauding a person of more than $1 million has been revealed.

The matter was mentioned in the Roma Street Magistrates Court in Brisbane on Thursday, March 23.

A Gold Coast man has been charged with scamming a person of more than $1 million and knowingly engaging in money laundering.

John Charles Wheatland, 39, of Surfers Paradise faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday, March 23 for the first time on three charges linked to the alleged offences.

Police will allege the charges relate to a company named Flip Flop Trader which was deregistered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in April 2020.

According to court documents, the UK-born man allegedly committed a count of money laundering and two counts of fraud — one of at least $100,000 — at a residential complex in Robina on the Gold Coast.

It is alleged Mr Wheatland dishonestly induced someone named James Gearing, and others, to deliver more than $19,800 credit to him on diverse dates in 2016.

He is also alleged to have dishonestly induced the same man to deliver property valued at more than $1.27 million to him on dates between December 8, 2016 and July 31, 2019.

Mr Wheatland allegedly knowingly engaged in money laundering at the end of this period, between September 2018 and July 2019.

He was charged with all three counts on March 2.

A legal representative appeared in the Magistrates Court on his behalf this week and asked Magistrate Michael Holohan to adjourn the matter.

The charges were adjourned to April 6 for mention and Mr Wheatland’s bail was enlarged.