Fishing R Us founder Yahya Tuameh accused of rape, possessing explosives

An internet personality, known for founding a Sydney fishing store with more than 150,000 Facebook followers, is behind bars on remand after being hit with a string of charges.

Yahya Tuameh, who founded Fishing R Us. Picture: Facebook

The founder of a popular Sydney fishing store, which previously went viral over its controversial signage, is behind bars on remand, charged with raping one woman and assaulting another.

Internet personality Yahya Tuameh, whose Fishing R Us business has more than 150,000 Facebook followers, was arrested in the early hours of last Tuesday morning, when police allegedly found him in a “drug-induced psychosis”.

The 46-year-old faced the Downing Centre Local Court via audiovisual link the following day, freshly charged with offences that include sexual intercourse without consent and possessing explosives, prohibited weapons and restricted substances.

The court heard Tuameh had been arrested over the alleged rape of a woman after police were called to his Millers Point home by an “external third party”, who had heard an argument.

According to court documents, a search of Tuameh’s home located a black pistol and ammunition, two yellow shotgun shells, a military grade LXGD laser, two blaster shot fireworks, and a large coil of Firefox crackers.

Yahya Tuameh is accused of raping one woman and assaulting another. Picture: Facebook

Police also claim to have found vials of growth hormones, testosterone and steroids.

Tuameh, who is yet to enter pleas to the new charges, is also accused of separate offences that include assaulting and stalking a different woman in August.

He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and is due to fight them at a hearing next June.

Applying for bail last week, Tuameh’s lawyer, Talal Krayem, told the court it was the 46-year-old’s first time in custody.

Mr Krayem said he also believed there were “flaws” in the case against his client.

“At the end of the day, it’s a one v one situation,” he said of the rape charge.

The Downing Centre court complex, where Yahya Tuameh was refused bail. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

“There is also the difficulty in that the complainant does not ring the police. It’s a third party who hears the argument.”

Mr Krayem said Tuameh should be granted bail in order to continue caring for his large family, including his ill father.

But magistrate Jennifer Price refused bail, saying Tuameh had previously breached a court order and presented an unacceptable risk of offending.

Tuameh is due back in court on various dates, the next of which is in November.

The 46-year-old founded Fishing R Us as a small fishing tackle stand at Flemington Markets in 1995.

Since then, the store, now based in Auburn, has risen to prominence through Tuameh’s social media vlogs and his use of explicit language.

It was the subject of controversy in 2019, when the local council ordered Fishing R Us to remove shopfront signs that referred to customers as “sicc---s”.

Tuameh defended his store at the time, telling the Daily Mail the word “c---” was “something you would call your mates and should not be seen as offensive”.

The 46-year-old is not currently a listed director of Fishing R Us, but an employee, who would not give his name, told this masthead on Thursday that Tuameh remained involved with the store and was still the face of the business.