Banker turned bikie Aaron Wynn, ex-NRL player Willis Meehan, sentenced for defrauding ATO

One is a former NRL player who became a boxer, another is a one-time banking executive turned bikie. Together, they helped hatch a plan to defraud thousands of dollars from taxpayers.

Professional fighter Willis Meehan, a former Roosters NRL player, left, and Aaron Wynn, a one-time Westpac bank manager turned Hells Angel bikie, right confessed to conspiring with Hells Angels Parramatta chapter boss Mustafa Hafizi, inset, to defraud the Australian Tax Office. Pictures: News Corp/Supplied

Two high-profile Sydney bikie associates have been handed good behaviour bonds in court just weeks after admitting they tried to defraud the Australian government of almost $100,000.

Aaron Wynn, a one-time Westpac bank manager turned Hells Angel bikie, and professional fighter Willis Meehan, a former Roosters NRL player who took up boxing and was known as ‘The Hitman’ in the ring, confessed to conspiring with Hells Angels Parramatta chapter boss Mustafa Hafizi to defraud the Australian Taxation Office of $81,597 between February and May in 2022.

The scam involved Wynn using his own MyGov account to lodge four false Business Activity Statements (BAS) claiming GST refunds for money purportedly spent on goods and services to support his fake business.

The ATO paid the first refund, totalling $11,073, into Wynn’s bank account on February 23, 2022.

Parramatta District Court heard the money was divided between the trio, with Wynn paid $5,000 and Hafizi paid $6,000, half of which he transferred to Meehan.

Aaron Wynn outside Parramatta Local Court. Picture: Julian Andrews

Wynn pictured in bikies’ colours. Picture: Supplied

Willis Meehan during his NRL days. Picture: News Corp

The remaining three refund applications were not processed, however, after authorities became suspicious of the activity and carried out an audit on Wynn’s account in March, uncovering the unsophisticated plot.

The court heard Meehan and Wynn were not known to each other before the scam, with Hafizi introducing the pair to facilitate the fraud.

However, Meehan was immediately aboard with the plan, with communication between the trio showing he offered advice about hoe to avoid detection, including suggesting they should keep the funds low to begin with.

Hafizi responded with reference to Wynn, saying “he doesn’t care …. this guy is a banker.”.

AFP officers raided Wynn’s home in March 2022 but he wasn’t charged with the current offences until early August 2023, when officers also arrested Hafizi and Meehan.

The court heard police discovered Meehan in possession of a Smith & Wesson revolver, which records show had previously been stolen from its registered owner in Queensland.

Meehan is not accused of stealing the weapon.

Meehan pictured training at a Sydney gym ahead of his boxing debut. Picture: Toby Zerna

Officers said Meehan was “drowsy and confused” at the time of his arrest and at times seemed to fall unconscious while speaking with police.

Each of the men pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to dishonestly obtain a gain from the Commonwealth.

In sentencing Wynn and Meehan last month Judge Sophia Beckett said the offending was not particularly sophisticated but the trio’s plan had been deliberate and organised.

“It is trite to say that tax fraud is not a victimless crime but is a form of corruption and therefore is recognised to be insidious,” she said.

The court heard Wynn, whose LinkedIn profile shows he was a former board member of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, committed the fraud after running into financial troubles running his own business during Covid.

A psychological report tendered to the court said Wynn had developed problems with drugs and gambling as a way of dealing with stress associated with his financial situation and trauma from childhood.

Hells Angels bikie Mustafa Hafizi will face sentencing over the fraud scam in February.

The court heard Meehan too had a longstanding addiction to drugs, which had marred his promising career in the NRL with the Roosters and Manly and led to him being banned from professional boxing.

Judge Beckett accepted both men had limited criminal histories and had shown degrees of remorse for their actions.

She sentenced Meehan to nine months’ jail, but agreed to immediately release him from custody on a Commonwealth recognisance bond to be of good behaviour bond.

Wynn was jailed for eight months, but also received a suspended recognisance bond.

The court heard Wynn remains in custody, bail refused, on unrelated charges.

Hafizi, who has also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud charge and is currently on bail, will be sentenced in February.