Bitcoin millionaire Benjamin Nelson has $640k Lamborghini seized over hooning offences

High-octane footage has shown the moment police chase a brazen hoon in his $638,000 Lamborghini on a dangerous night-time joy ride along the Bruce Hwy north of Brisbane. SEE THE CHASE

High-octane footage has shown the moment police chase a brazen hoon in his $638,000 Lamborghini on a dangerous night-time joy ride along the Bruce Hwy north of Brisbane.

The dramatic footage shows Queensland police in a high-powered Mercedes Benz AMG sedan pursuing just 15m behind a school dropout turned Bitcoin millionaire and serial hoon with their engine roaring lights flashing and siren blaring in a bid to intercept him as the chase slowed, blocked in traffic behind a ute.

Filmed from inside the police car the footage taken on October 18, 2019 was released by the Police Minister Mark Ryan yesterday as part of the announcement that the purple Lamborghini Huracan Performante driven by Benjamin Thomas Nelson, 28, from Ninderry on the Sunshine Coast, would be put up for auction with proceeds going to the state under proceeds of crime laws.

Nelson has more than a dozen speeding and drug-driving convictions, including driving over 200km/h.

Police first spotted the thrill-seeker travelling north on the Bruce Hwy at Buchanan Rd in Morayfield at an estimated speed of 130kmh in a 100kmh zone.

They followed him as he travelled north and saw the coupe accelerate north of the Bribie Island Rd overpass before it hit traffic where police were able to drive close behind him near the Pumicestone Rd overpass, police sped up to 168kmh in a bid to keep up with Nelson but he continued to pull away at an estimated speed of 200kmh.

The footage shows Nelson braking heavily behind a ute in the right-hand lane to overtake a semi-trailer, when the ute slows and aborts its overtaking, the Lamborghini immediately floors the accelerator to speed off at more than 200kmh.

A second piece of footage shows police pursuing the Lamborghini at night through Brisbane’s central business district along Edward St past the luxury goods retailer Hermes and the Victory Hotel.

Nelson dropped out of Nambour State High School in Year 10, officially earns less than $40,000 as an IT worker and told police he also worked as a personal fitness trainer.

But in court documents he claims to have made $800,000 trading Bitcoin, which police allege is the proceeds of drug sales.

He was jailed in February for charges including dangerous driving, evading police, attempting to pervert the course of justice and driving while affected by drugs or alcohol.

The Lamborghini is now up for auction by police. Police Minister Mark Ryan (right) and Acting Assistant Commissioner Ray Rohweder inspect the vehicle. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Six days after the Bruce Hwy joy ride Nelson’s girlfriend pre-medicine student Kaori Celine Nakase 24, a former barmaid from New Farm and Maroochydore, reported the car as stolen, then Nelson paid his mate Zachary William Ainge $5000 to say he was driving the car, not Nelson.

Ainge falsely told police he met a girl in Fortitude Valley and paid her $5000 to take her Lamborghini for a ride and he took it on the Bruce Highway where he caught the attention of police.

Nelson, the son of a taxi driver on Centrelink benefits with a conviction for drug production, was convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice and so was Ainge, who was sentenced to 18 months’ prison and released on immediate parole.

Nelson was convicted of evading police and dangerous driving over the October 18 chase.

A month later, in November 2019, Nelson was under the influence of drugs when he was speeding and crashed his car into a guard rail and fled the scene at Woombye.

Benjamin Thomas Nelson

Tori Preiss

Police noted Nelson was drowsy, disorientated and had dilated pupils and slurred speech, and they found he had one gram of the drug ice in his possession.

Nakase bought the 2019 model Lamborghini Huracan Performance Coupe in her name for $637,800 from a Brisbane dealership on October 14, 2019.

She paid for it using Bitcoins owned by Nelson.

Nakase told police she broke up with Nelson in November 2019.

On June 10 last year Nakase was convicted and sentenced on her own pleas of guilty by Judge Gary Long in Maroochydore District Court for receiving the Lamborghini suspected of being the proceeds of a crime, receiving the $745,000 four-bedroom home she part-owned with Nelson on Swan Rd in Pimpama suspected of being the proceeds of a crime, and two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, as well as being in charge of a car while on drugs.

Nakase served actual time and is now free. She says she still loves Nelson even though they are no longer together, since he is in prison.

On February 19, Nelson was jailed for four years and disqualified from driving for his driving and perjury offences but he will be eligible for parole on September 28.

"Violet Crumble" purple 2019 Lamborghini Huracan Performante 2D Coupé seized by Queensland police under new anti-hooning laws and auctioned by Manheim Auctions

His previous convictions include for drugs and driving offences.

On May 18, 2015 Nelson was sentenced to 18 months’ prison for 13 charges of importing drugs including MDMA and the anaesthetic-style party drug GBL, known as fantasy.

On May 2, 2019 he was sentenced to nine months prison, suspended for two years, for receiving packages containing GBL and the possession of other drugs found in his bedroom.

The Lamborghini will be auctioned off on June 17 through Manheim Auctions at Eagle Farm with proceeds forfeited to the state under laws aimed at ensuring crime does not pay.

Nelson also bought a $75,000 black Audi A5 cabriolet for his other girlfriend Instagram influencer Tori Maddison Preiss, 25, from Caloundra West, on January 22 last year, according to a proceeds of crime hearing brought by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Preiss was on her learner’s licence at the time.

Nelson, who met Preiss at Helm nightclub in Mooloolaba in May 2018, has since split with her, police state in court documents.

Preiss, who is not suspected of any wrongdoing, told police that Nelson bought drugs via the dark web and had them delivered through the mail, court documents state.