How Sydney man allegedly stole millions from colleagues with fake Portugal story: police

A Sydney man has been accused of stealing more than $4 million from his colleagues after concocting elaborate stories about how they could make big profits. Read how police allege he did it.

Nuno Guerreiro, of Dolls Point in Sydney, is facing dozens of fraud charges after being arrested by NSW Police.

A Sydney man is accused by police of stealing more than $4 million from five of his colleagues after concocting elaborate stories about how they could make big profits if they invested in a property sale in Portugal, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

Police allege Nuno Guerreiro deceived the five men – who he met while working in Sydney’s waste disposal industry – by telling them a range of lies, including that some of them stood to receive lucrative returns if they helped him in the sale of the piece of land in Portugal he claimed his family had recently inherited.

The associates readily agreed, transferring massive amounts of money to the 58-year-old – some as high as $300,000 and $200,000 in single transactions – between 2021 and 2023, according to a police fact sheet tendered to court and obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

But, after police arrested Guerreiro, of Dolls Point, detectives allegedly found no information relating to any supposed sale of land in Portugal.

The fact sheet outlines the various ways in which Guerreiro, who is being legally represented by high-profile Sydney solicitor Ahmed Dib, allegedly tricked the five men with his story of the supposed windfall after the sale of the land.

The five men are not accused of any wrongdoing by police.

Guerreiro is yet to enter any pleas.

Lawyer Ahmed Dib is defending Guerreiro.

Alleged victim one

In July 2021, according to the court documents, Guerreiro approached Robert Dimeo and asked him for a $350,000 loan, saying he was planning on buying property for his mother, who was moving from Portugal to Sydney.

But, when Mr Dimeo agreed and later asked for the money back, Guerreiro allegedly said he had spent the $350,000 to assist him in paying a series of fees and taxes associated with the sale of the Portugal land, the fact sheet states.

According to the court documents, Guerreiro promised Mr Dimeo he would pay back the $350,000.

He also explained he had inherited the land from his paternal grandfather and that a hotel chain, Tivoli Group, wanted to purchase the land in a $20 million deal in which he would receive $5 million back.

He told Mr Dimeo he needed extra money for further fees in the sale and Mr Dimeo ended up transferring $600,000 in total.

Nuno Guerreiro, a Sydney man that is accused by police of staling 4 million dollars from 5 of his colleagues.

Alleged victim two

In January 2022, police say Guerriero told Darren Juric that the Tivoli Group was buying the land in Portugal for US$28 million, but that he needed some money to help facilitate the sale, including paying money transfer fees.

He allegedly promised Mr Juric he would receive 20 to 30 per cent interest on his return if he invested in the sale.

Mr Juric ended up transferring $1.6 million, but has received no financial return from Guerriero, police allege.

Alleged victim three

Later, in March 2022, Guerreiro claimed to Tinuccio Sinicropi that he would similarly receive 30 per cent interest if he invested in the supposed Tivoli Group sale, the fact sheet states.

Mr Sinicropi transferred $875,000 to the accused in a series of 11 transfers, but received no benefit, police allege.

Alleged victim four

According to the court documents, Guerriero also bragged that he would be receiving $8 million from the Tivoli sale to Lakhbirsing “Lucky” Multani.

After allegedly being told he stood to receive a 20 per cent return on any money he gave, Mr Multani transferred Guerriero $420,000.

Police allege there was no evidence of any land sale in Portugal on Guerriero’s phone.

Alleged victim five

Finally, in June 2022, Guerreiro was introduced to Steven Richardson. Guerreiro offered Mr Richardson a 40 per cent return if he invested in the Portugal land sale and that settlement would occur within the month, the court documents say. Mr Richardson transferred $570,000 in a series of payments, but has received no return, police allege.

Arrest

Last year in October, police raided Guerreiro’s Dolls Point apartment and seized his mobile phone.

But there was nothing about Portugal on the device, officers allege.

“There was no information contained on the accused’s phone to suggest there was any sale of land in Portugal”, police say in the fact sheet.

When interviewed by detectives, he claimed he had been investing in cryptocurrency and that he had approached associates to help him pay a series of fees that he needed to pay in order to access $2.3 million in an account, police allege.

When asked about Portugal, he allegedly said he planned to purchase the land as an investment when the money was released to him.

“The accused was unable to provide information relating to an inheritance of land in Portugal or documents pertaining to the sale of land in Portugal,” police allege,

He was charged with 53 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

Represented by Mr Dib, Guerreiro secured bail in the NSW Supreme Court.

He remains before the courts.

Originally published as How Sydney man allegedly stole millions from colleagues with fake Portugal story: police