Black Power Sydney gang president accused in senior police officer’s alleged fraud
A court heard a New Zealand gang member who described himself as “the Prezz” allegedly helped fake the theft of a senior cop’s car for a $30,000 insurance payout.
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A gang president allegedly helped orchestrate the fake theft of a senior police officer’s car so she could claim a $30,000 insurance payout when she was in dire financial straits.
Police allege Senior Sergeant Karen Yerbury was more than a million dollars in debt when her daughter – former NRL cheerleader Regan Yerbury – made an agreement with her athletics coach Gavin Dunn to fake Karen Yerbury’s car’s theft for an insurance payout in May 2017.
That alleged attempt to defraud Karen Yerbury’s insurer was unsuccessful after police recovered the car and returned it to her.
However, a second allegedly staged theft in February 2018 succeeded in having Karen Yerbury’s car written off and she was paid out $30,571.17.
Crown Prosecutor Heidi Cantor has now alleged in court that Glenn Stone – the fourth co-defendant charged with taking Karen Yerbury’s car – is the president of New Zealand gang Black Power’s Sydney chapter.
“Glenn Stone is a gangster,” Ms Cantor told the court.
“He admitted in his (interview with police) that he is a lifetime member of Black Power, a New Zealand gang,” Ms Cantor told the court.
Ms Cantor said police also quizzed Stone about texts on his phone pertaining to the alleged insurance fraud job in which he referred to himself as “the Prezz”.
“(He says) ‘I am the Prezz’ means I am the president, a leader of Black Power’,” Ms Cantor told the court.
The court has previously heard Regan Yerbury allegedly arranged the car’s initial fake theft with Gavin Dunn, who enlisted Stone – his associate – to help carry out the task.
Karen Yerbury has pleaded not guilty to one attempt to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage by deception, actually dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, and two counts of concealing a serious indictable offence.
Regan Yerbury has pleaded not guilty to one attempt to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage by deception.
Stone has pleaded not guilty to two attempts to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage by deception, and actually dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage.
Dunn has pleaded guilty to attempting to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage by deception in relation to taking the car the first time, and not guilty to knowingly directing a criminal group, stealing a motor vehicle and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Ms Cantor also told the court texts between Regan Yerbury and Dunn reinforce the allegation Stone is significantly involved in gang activity.
“Gavin Dunn was angry at Regan Yerbury for wanting her property (inside the taken car) back and being surprised the car was taken when it was,” Ms Cantor said.
“He indicated he was dealing with ‘gangsters’ – and it is submitted that in the context of this message, Gavin Dunn was not using a loose vernacular term when he said gangsters, but he was actually representing that he had arranged for people in a gang to take the vehicle.”
The long-running local court hearing, which first began in March 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia, will recommence before Magistrate Julie Huber on April 27.
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