Comanchero boss Mick Murray in court over deception charges linked to major money-laundering probe
Comanchero boss Mick Murray has fronted court charged with a slew of deception offences after major raids across 44 Melbourne businesses including gyms, brothels and law offices.
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Bikie boss Mick Murray has fronted court charged with a slew of deception offences linked to a major money-laundering probe by a specialist bikie-busting taskforce.
The Comanchero, 41, along with four co-accused, declared he will fight the charges which include obtaining financial advantage and property by deception and evading debt.
Murray, David Graer, Lawrence Pope, both 62, Michael Jones, 30, and Marcus Hume, 39, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this morning charged with 88 offences between them.
The charges stemmed from investigations by the Echo Taskforce which culminated in major raids across 44 premises including gyms, brothels and law offices in March last year.
It is understood the men were associated with accountancy firms, solicitor’s officers and other properties and businesses linked to the outlaw motorcycle gang.
Echo investigators and AFP officers executed warrants across Melbourne where alcohol worth $1 million was seized, along with drugs, a large sum of cash, computers and motorcycles.
Murray, who reclaimed his title of national president of the outlaw motorcycle gang, will contest almost 60 deception charges including evading debt and falsifying loan applications to procure a $66,000 car from a leasing company which police say he had no intention of ever returning.
Charge sheets released by the court detail 55 occasions in which Murray allegedly lied about driving the car, which belonged to banking group Macquarie Leasing Pty Ltd, and claimed someone else was responsible for the fines and CityLink and EastLink tolls incurred between December 2016 and May 2017.
He is also accused of deceiving the company when he obtained a loan which he knew he wouldn’t repay, police allege.
Graer, a high-interest lender and self-described “forensic accountant”, Jones, and Pope are also charged with falsifying profit and loss statements in loan applications on the behalf of others.
The accused men sat side-by-side in the front row of the courtroom for the brief committal mention where their lawyers asked for a one-day hearing to be held in September.
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Murray and Graer are on bail after being charged in December.
Pope, Jones and Hume are on summons for their matters.
The men will return to court in September.