Abdel Ghadia, Slimy: Wannabe rapper sentenced to full-time custody for spending spree, victims reveal devastation

A wannabe rapper called ‘Slimy’ has faced the music for going on a spending spree after a couple’s house deposit fraudulently ended up in his bank account.

Abdel Ghadia was sentenced to an 18-month custodial sentence.

A couple scammed out of $760,000 when their house deposit ended up in a wannabe rapper’s bank account have revealed the devastating financial and personal impact the ordeal has wrecked on them and their family.

Sydney couple well-known nutritionist Tara Thorne and Corey Brooks lost their life savings after hackers – posing as their broker – directed them to send their deposit to an account held by wannabe rapper Abdel Ghadia, who also goes by the name Slimy.

Ghadia, 24, of Sefton, then went on an elaborate spending spree on gold bars and coins, foreign exchange and Uniqlo clothes.

At Burwood Local Court on Monday, Ghadia finally faced the music as Ms Thorne and Mr Brooks revealed how the ordeal had “devastated us and our family” and how they’d been left in a mountain of debt, void of savings, living week-to-week, and how relatives – who had helped loan money for the house – were also out of pocket.

“The ordeal feels unbearable at times, and I have significant feelings of despair and stress,” Mr Brooks said.

Abdel Ghadia outside Burwood Local Court. Picture: NewsLocal

“It’s left us with wounds – I could work well into my 90s and never reclaim the money we lost.”

The gold, which totalled about $700,000, has yet to be found and the couple have not been reimbursed a cent.

Tara Thorne, along with husband Corey Brooks, watched on as Ghadia was sentenced to custody. Picture: Facebook

Corey Brooks speaks to reporters outside Burwood Local Court on December 12.

“The rug was pulled under us by criminals,” Ms Thorne, who revealed she takes antidepressants and anxiety medicine to “ease the relentless stress”.

“Loved ones sacrificed savings to help us, this is a tragedy,” she said.

Ghadia, who pleaded guilty, was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison for two counts of dealing with the property proceeds of crime.

Magistrate Richard Funston said he had “no other option than full-time imprisonment”.

A restoration order of the exact amount – $759,317 – was also ordered by the magistrate, who noted it would sadly be “nigh on impossible to recover”.

The couple’s broker, Adam Magro, a former Wallaby international and husband of teal independent and Mackellar federal MP Sophie Scamps, was the victim of a man-in-the-middle hack which led to the incident.

In court it was revealed how the couple’s hard-earned cash was directed to Ghadia’s account as a result of fake emails posing as Mr Magro.

Ghadia, who did not have a hand in the initial scam, was the only person charged in relation to the incident, although court heard how the 24-year-old was “working under the instruction of others”.

NewsLocal previously reported how Ghadia woke up to the money – totalling $756,219 – and proceeded to spend it at will.

At the ABC Bullion store on Pitt St in Sydney’s CBD, Ghadia spent $598,188 on a collection of gold bars across six visits in June 2021. He bought 14 in total, ranging in weight from 10oz to 1kg, and was captured on CCTV each time.

The gold bars Ghadia bought are yet to be located. Picture: David Gray

Ghadia also spent the couple’s money on Uniqlo clothes. Picture: Supplied.

At Ainslie Bullion, a QLD-based gold dealer, he spent $62,843 on a 500g gold bullion and 10oz bar. He also purchased $48,222 worth of gold KHC coins.

Ghadia, who told officers at the time of his arrest he “wanted to give gold to someone I loved”, then dabbled on the international money market – purchasing a total of $14,490 in foreign exchange.

Across June and July 2021, he also took out $13,600 in cash from ATMs across Sydney from the money inadvertently deposited into his account.

His final spot was Westfield Parramatta, spending $6235 on clothes from Uniqlo and JD Sports, and makeup from MECCA.

Ghadia’s sentence has a 10-month non-parole period.

When he was finally apprehended and questioned by police in October 2021, Ghadia – who then earned $4800 a month as a pick-packer at a clothes warehouse – told officers he “just woke up and saw the money”, court documents state.

Magistrate Funston said Ghadia “couldn’t wash his hands and be done with it”, because he wasn’t involved in the initial scam but instead “enthusiastically” spent the couple’s money.

“He might not have been the mastermind but he knew what he was doing,” he said.

“There was a concerted effort to dispose of the funds, which will be night on impossible to ever recover.”

The court also heard how Ghadia was in breach of two community corrections orders (CCO), for drug possession and possessing stolen goods, at the time of the offence.

Ghadia has a non-parole period of 10 months.