Bad boys and girls of Instagram: Ben Geppert, Brett Pechey, Allaina Vader, Harley Barbaro and more

Muscles, motorbikes and fast cars - these bikies and WAGs have more in common than just their criminal pasts. Check out their flashy lifestyles.

Bikies subject to consorting laws and who post their lavish lifestyles to Instagram are sometimes “brought unstuck” by the social media platform, a former cop says.

Retired superintendent Jim Keogh – who led a bikie blitz on the Gold Coast – says the new era of the flashy so-called ‘Nike bikie’ was far removed from the old “hard heads” he used to round up.

“The irony to all that was during the ‘Bikie Blitz’ if a bikie took a mobile phone into a club house it was a bashable offence,” he recalls.

Mr Keogh says the rule was borne out of a fear that police were tracking phones, but he says the “ego” of new members erased this paranoia.

“It’s certainly frowned upon by the old guard,” he says.

“It’s nearly a competition (among those who post to social media) to see who’s got the best body and the best girlfriend.”

Mr Keogh says the social media posts are gold for investigators, and have brought many undone, particularly those who are subject to consorting laws and are banned from contacting certain associates.

“It’s brought them unstuck on numerous occasions because it picks out a time, it picks out a date, it picks out a place where they’re at.

“It’s nearly as good as a still from a CCTV.”

During the early phases of Covid-19, several men with ties to an outlaw motorcycle gang were arrested for drug and consorting charges, while others faced public health fines, after an image of them gathered at a gym appeared on Instagram.

Mr Keogh led the bikie-busting taskforce, the Rapid Action Patrol squad from 2013-2015.Former and current bikies, associates and bikie WAGs have more in common than their criminal pasts.

They have all embraced the world of social media – posting images of their tattoos, cars and lifestyles to their thousands of followers – earning them the title of “bikies of Instagram”.

These Gold Coast bad boys and girls have no issue showing off and getting their kit out on social media.

Ben Geppert

Ben Geppert.

Ben “Notorious” Geppert rose to prominence when he began posting his life obsessively on Instagram.

He and former partner Allaina Vader also used to post racy pictures of their lives together.

The former Finks and Hells Angels bikie also got into a public spat with fellow ex-bikie Brett “Kaos” Peachy.

In the Southport District Court last year, Geppert pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count each of burglary at night, demanding property with menaces and breaching bail.

The 29-year-old sold his friend of three months a quarter of an ounce of the drug ice for $1500 in late August last year, but was paid only $1000.

When the remaining money was not paid Geppert sent his friend a picture of a gun.

He then attacked his friend outside his home on September 2 last year, the court heard.

His friend had suspicions the drug provided was not ice as it had dissolved before he could smoke it.

Geppert told his friend the drug debt had gone up to $2000.

About six hours later he returned to the man’s Broadbeach home, smashed a glass door and beat his friend, saying the debt had risen to $3000.

The man suffered a cut that needed stitches.

The victim’s roommate helped the victim get $2400 cash together and a Rolex was given as collateral.

Police were contacted and planned to meet Geppert in Broadbeach under the guise the man was providing the additional cash.

Geppert fled but was picked up four days later in northern New South Wales.

Judge Catherine Muir sentenced Geppert to three years’ prison with parole release on December 3, 2021.

Defence barrister Malcolm Harrison, instructed by Vered Turner Lawyers, said Geppert fell into the bikie crowd at 23 and had become known as an “Instagram bikie”.

Allaina Vader

An offer of $1000 and some “remorse” allowed the Insta-famous former girlfriend of an ex-bikie to walk from court after pleading guilty to stomping on a woman in a brutal road rage attack.

Allaina Vader, known for her infamous ex-boyfriend Ben Geppert and revealing Instagram account, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court in 2018 to six charges including common assault, drug possession and traffic offences.

Her lawyer claimed the victim gave “as good as she got”.

Magistrate Pamela Dowse described the vicious fight as “wrong” after viewing shocking CCTV footage of the brawl on a Robina traffic island.

“I don’t think that women should be doing this kind of thing,” Ms Dowse said.

“It’s unacceptable in the extreme. It’s wrong. It’s bad.

“Violence doesn’t solve anything.”

Ms Douse said she would have sentenced Vader to prison if she had not shown remorse.

Vader was sentenced to three months' prison to be suspended for an operational period of 12 months.

Ms Douse also ordered Vader pay $1000 in compensation to the victim.

Brett ‘Kaos’ Pechey

Brett Pechey.

One of Queensland’s most notorious and recognisable ex-bikies, Pechey has been known for flaunting his wealth to his more than 5500 Instagram followers.

A solid gold Rolex and a $160,000 Range Rover Sport were some of the luxury purchases he boasted about online.

But he was mercilessly roasted in 2019 when Internet sleuths discovered a picture of his new cherry red Ducati motorbike had been taken from Google Images.

The blunder came after he fled the Gold Coast to Western Australia in 2018.

He was jailed last year for a “bizarre” and “menacing” meth-fuelled rant.

Pechey had threatened two police officers who were issuing the 34-year-old with a police order following a domestic violence incident involving his ex-partner.

Things escalated when police discovered a video of Pechey sitting in the driver’s seat of his Chrysler 300C with a firearm by his side.

‘F**king c**t … die today, coppers die today … yeah boy, f**king maggots,’ Pechey said in the clip.

Pechey pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court to threatening to kill, possessing a firearm in circumstances of aggravation, possessing unlawfully obtained property and multiple police order breaches relating to domestic violence offences and was sentenced to a year behind bars.

Ricky Ciano

Ricky Ciano.

This infamous ex-bikie died in suspicious circumstances shortly after he relocated to the Gold Coast.

The ex-Rebels kingpin from Sydney was found dead in his white BMW in Oberon, western NSW on Valentines Day 2017.

The ex-bikie enforcer Instagram account portrayed a life of luxury, exotic holidays and Rolex watches.

Jacob Stanes

Jacob Stanes.

A former Finks bikie pleaded guilty to pulling a shot gun on an ex-Hells Angels after he unknowingly appeared at his unit to help install an airconditioner.

A highly agitated Jacob Stanes told Benjamin Geppert “how about I blow you away” after pulling the gun from a cupboard during the random altercation on Helensvale’s ritzy Oyster Cove Promenade in November 2017.

In the Southport District Court in 2019, Stanes pleaded guilty to dangerous conduct with a weapon, common assault and possessing a shot gun, among other offences.

The court was told the conflict happened when Stanes’ landlord unwittingly called Geppert’s father Jeffrey, who runs an electrical business, to install an airconditioning system at the property.

Jeffrey, with sons Benjamin and Samuel, arrived to complete the job only to find the tenant, referred to as “Jake”, was not home.

Moments later, an angry Stanes returned from a shopping trip at Bunnings in a white Suzuki Swift.

Crown prosecutor Michael Mitchell said there had been “bad blood” between Stanes and Benjamin Geppert.

Jeffrey Geppert said he needed to access the house but Stanes said “I’m going to bash you”, the court was told.

Benjamin Geppert stepped in and told Stanes “look, if you have a problem we can go for a walk and sort it out,”.

Stanes responded by walking inside the house where he pulled a shotgun from a small cupboard and told Benjamin and Samuel, “no, I’ve got a real problem, how about I blow you way”.

Benjamin Geppert charged at Stanes and the pair got into a scuffle where Stanes dropped the weapon, the court was told.

Jeffrey Geppert drove his sons from the scene “feeling shaken”.

Police later found the weapon was loaded.

Judge Catherine Muir said Stanes’ actions were serious, violent and reckless.

Judge Muir sentenced Stanes to 18 months' prison with a parole eligibility date of May 20, 2019.

Stanes had been in custody for other matters since October 2018.

Jon Pierre Kairouz

Jon Pierre Kairouz.

Dubbed a wannabe ‘Nike bikie’ by police, Chevron Island hairdresser Jon Pierre Kairouz fronted court in July 2016 and pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and testosterone and three Diazapam tablets.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a pair of locking handcuffs, which the court heard were bought from a sex shop, and possession of clip seal suspected to be used in the commission of a crime.

The items were found during the raid of a Surfers Paradise unit in February 2016, where police also found a “large amount” of Nike-brand shoes.

Kairouz’s barrister Angus Edwards told the court his client had been misusing illicit substances in the past but was now making efforts to get off the gear.

To prove it, he provided two clear urine tests to Magistrate Kay Philipson.

“He is remorseful and embarrassed,” Mr Edwards said.

Ms Philipson sentenced the man to 18 months' probation, saying his offending was clearly related to one episode and had not stretched over a long period of time.

She said she should be “commended” for attempting to do something about his drug problem.

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Originally published as Bad boys and girls of Instagram: Ben Geppert, Brett Pechey, Allaina Vader, Harley Barbaro and more