Fraudsters preyed on Collingwood members in $1m sting
A high-rolling crime duo preyed on members of the Collingwood Football Club to line their pockets with more than $1 million they later gambled away at Crown Casino.
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A high-rolling crime duo preyed on members of the Collingwood Football Club to line their pockets with more than $1 million they later gambled away at Crown Casino.
Footy tragics Maureen and Douglas Johnston duped friends out of huge sums of cash, including one retiree who lost their life savings, under the promise of massive returns from bogus investments.
They met most of their unsuspecting victims through their association with Collingwood with one victim telling police she was wooed over dinner with former player Andrew Krakouer.
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Maureen admitted her crimes and last year, four years after first being charged, was jailed for a maximum term of five and a half years.
This week a jury found Douglas guilty of nine dishonesty charges after a County Court trial.
He is now facing a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The pair promised massive returns from fake investment opportunities.
One retiree lost his entire life’s savings, $820,000, and is now living on a pension because he can’t afford to self-fund his retirement.
Maureen’s offending was so brazen she would drive one of her victims to an ATM and watch her withdraw cash advances from her credit card on the promise of huge returns.
In total she was convicted of stealing more than $1.1 million while Douglas was found guilty of defrauding $815,000 from investors.
Between 2010 and 2013 they used most of the cash to gamble while other funds were used to support their lifestyle and repay credit cards debts.
Most of the money was never repaid.
Sources have told the Herald Sun Johnston was a member of a secret Crown Casino club known as the “Black Room”, an invitation-only club where the casino’s biggest spenders can play pokies.
Little is publicly known about the room but sources say Johnston enjoyed exclusive access to clubs inside the casino, ate and drank for free and took advantage of member only concierge services.
She would also have been required to spend a minimum amount every six months, believed to be more than $60,000, in order to retain access to the club.
Mr Johnston has been bailed to appear on 21 May 2019 for a plea and sentencing hearing in the County Court of Victoria. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment for each offence.