Melbourne ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ shonk Andrew Sackl aka James Sackl pleads guilty to visa racket

A slippery Melbourne businessman down almost $3 million for multiple failed companies been done for a shifty visa racket.

Bankrupt shonk Andrew Sackl arrives at court with his wife.

A colourful bankrupt Melbourne businessman almost $3m in debt, who has left a trail of broken companies and clients, has been slammed for his shonky antics.

Failed businessman Andrew Sackl, who sources say is referred to as a ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ character, left multiple companies in the gutter before going bust in November, 2020.

Sackl left several international job seeker hopefuls high and dry through his collapsed employment companies Punk Jobs and Dynasty Global.

The slippery operator used his charm to rope in eight non-citizens “open to exploitation” and willing to pay big bucks to secure job sponsorship and 457 visas between November 2012 and May 2013.

Sackl, and others, met hapless marks at upmarket cafes and restaurants including former plush bar Silk Road to pose up and pitch ultimately hopeless visa dreams for exorbitant fees.

Many of Sackl’s desperate clients got caught up in his shonky promises via cheap Gumtree adverts.

Sackl, who sources claimed lived an opulent lifestyle with his wife, also wooed clients at his Prahran office.

An associate of Sackl quoted a Chinese national $45,000 to obtain employment and a visa.

The Chinese national coughed up almost $12,000 but Sackl falsified the 457 visa application which was ultimately refused.

Sackl, whose businesses provided legitimate employment services, dudded other internationals who all handed over cash for fruitless services.

Many of Sackl’s marks, some of which claimed the shonk presented as “attractive” and “smartly dressed”, demanded refunds after it became apparent the visa application process was going nowhere.

However, Sackl stonewalled clients and even demanded more money for fees.

In reality, Sackl, who graduated Wesley College with a 96.4 ATAR, falsified visa applications and diddled work sponsorship forms.

Multiple businesses including a bakery, a pizza joint and a bar were falsely put up as willing to sponsor non citizens for work on decent salaries.

A legitimate migrant agent quit Dynasty Global in November 2012 after she suspected a Prahran bar proposed as a work sponsor was part-owned by Sackl.

Sackl was also fined $3000, handed a good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $9900 in December 2014 for breaching consumer law while director of Dynasty Global.

Sackl appeared at the County Court on Friday after the Australian Border Force received a tip-off about a suspected “migration scam”.

Sackl, 33, who fronted court with a crisp suit, a top barrister and his wife – who wore a fur coat and stilettos – pleaded guilty to 13 charges including deliver false or misleading information relating to a non-citizen.

The court heard Sackl, who launched his first company when he was 18, now works full-time for his wife’s modular home construction and Covid-19 testing equipment companies.

This came after the Australian Securities Investments Commission banned Sackl in May from being a director of companies until 2025.

Sackl, aka James Sackl, left debts of almost $3 million, including $830,000 to the Australian Taxation Office, from five companies including collapsed cooking school Ad Astra Institute.

ASIC found Sackl “generally acted with a lack of commercial morality and incompetence”.

Sackl, who also pleaded guilty to present a forged or false document relating to a non citizen, gave a wry smile and wink after he was spared jail time.

Judge Justin Hannebery, who said the offending “wasn’t a complicated fraud”, convicted Sackl with a three-year community correction order.

Sackl was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid community work.

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