Gosford: Arrest warrant issued for ex-NRL player Arana Taumata after being convicted of fraud, DV in his absence

A former NRL bad boy, turned running influencer, is on the lam after defrauding victims of their self-managed superannuation and assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

A former NRL bad boy, turned running influencer, is on the lam after defrauding victims of their self-managed superannuation and assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

New Zealand national Arana Taumata, of Saratoga on the Central Coast, was convicted of seven offences in his absence after he failed to appear at Gosford Local Court on two occasions in the past week.

The 35-year-old had pleaded not guilty to two counts each of fraud and dealing with the proceeds of crime, as well as charges of failing to notify a change of address and assaulting and intimidating his ex-girlfriend.

It comes after the former five-eighth, who was sacked by multiple NRL clubs for a litany of off-field indiscretions a decade ago, popped up in news reports from Queensland as a social media influencer using the Instagram handle @freaky_runner_.

Taumata took to social media to claim he leapt to the aid of a young woman who was attacked on a popular Brisbane walking track on June 7.

Former NRL player Arana Taumata leaving Gosford Local Court, where he pleaded not guilty to defrauding two couples of almost $200,000 of their superannuation. Picture: NewsLocal

Taumata had been charged with fraud and dealing with the proceeds of crime in July last year after a couple from Mount Druitt approached police in February with concerns when he stopped returning their calls for a year.

A set of police facts, tendered when he failed to appear in court on Tuesday last week, states Taumata was employed as a business development manager for WT Capital until the property investment firm terminated his employment in April 2020.

Taumata during his playing days with three clubs, which all sacked him for off-field incidents. (File image)

However, when he met the couple at a Sydney cafe in August 2020, he “proffered himself and WT Capital” as being able to help them enter the property investment market using their self-managed super.

Taumata “gained the confidence of the victims” and, over the ensuing weeks, told them he’d started his own company, Alite Investments. He convinced them to let him invest their money.

In October that year, the victims transferred $11,900 for a consulting fee and, over the next 13 months, he was in regular contact, showing them images of properties and discussing various investments.

“At the request of the accused under the guise of ‘legitimate’ payments the victims initiated 14 individual transactions totalling $132,800 to [Taumata],” the facts state.

Taumata moved to the Central Coast after a series of failed tilts at an NRL career.

“Periodically the accused transferred funds back to [the victims], again under the guise of ‘legitimate’ refunds from developers, investment returns etc.”

The last contact the victims had from Taumata was on Christmas Eve in 2021, when he sent them a text asking for more money despite them saying their self-managed super was down to its last few thousand dollars.

In early 2022, the couple started receiving inquiries from investment regulators seeking documentation relating to their super fund. They went to police in February 2023.

During the investigation police discovered another victim, who had transferred $87,950 to Taumata over a similar period.

“From the evidence obtained during the investigation, rather than facilitate the legitimate investing of the victim’s superannuation funds, the accused simply used the victims’ funds to reimburse existing clients in a ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ Ponzi-styled scam,” the facts state.

“Each time a victim received a ‘refund’ from the accused, they believed in the process and continued to transfer funds to the accused.”

An Instagram profile Arana Taumata established for Alite Management, which references his Alite Investments business. Picture: Instagram

Police went to arrest Taumata at two last known addresses at Copacabana and Terrigal, but they discovered he had not lived at either location for more than 18 months.

Officers eventually pulled him over in his car at Gosford on July 26, 2023, when he was arrested and charged.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was set down for a hearing on June 18 this year.

When he failed to show, he was convicted in his absence and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Meanwhile, police were called to an address at Saratoga on December 16, 2023, after Taumata’s ex-girlfriend called to report an assault.

Police facts state the couple had broken up a couple of days before Taumata went around and let himself in before assaulting her about 10pm.

The woman managed to flee to her car outside, where Taumata sat in the passenger seat filming her crying on his mobile phone and said “I can’t wait to show this to people”.

When officers attended “police located the accused lying under a bed”.

He was charged with assault and intimidation and was set to face a hearing on Monday this week.

When he failed to appear, he was convicted in his absence.