Janice Mercer tricked into cooking the books for Comanchero bikie boss Mick Murray
AN elderly woman who walks with the aid of a walking frame has pleaded guilty to unwittingly cooking the books for outlaw bikie gang boss Mick Murray.
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AN elderly woman who walks with the aid of a walking frame has pleaded guilty to unwittingly cooking the books for outlaw bikie gang boss Mick Murray after being hoodwinked into it.
Janice Mercer, 76, had no idea she was balancing the books for businesses owned by Comanchero national president Murray after being hired by one of his alleged underlings, Mick Jones.
But Ms Mercer, who pleaded guilty to false accounting, raised questions about accounting practices she was being asked to perform.
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The Mt Martha resident, who is on a disability pension, would receive invoices and other documents in the mail, her lawyer Bernie Balmer said.
“This has all come as a shock to my client,” he said. “The documents were mailed or delivered then put into MYOB.
“This is part of a bigger picture. There is no suggestion she is part of an OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gang).
“My client only dealt with (Mick) Jones, unaware of the bigger picture … she is not part of this extensive Comanchero gang or Mick Murray.”
Police said Ms Mercer was unaware of who she was actually working for after Jones employed her as a bookkeeper.
It was alleged Ms Mercer was being used to “adjust accounting records to cover up both legitimate and illegitimate business transactions”.
Among them were Nitro Gym in Carrum Downs and Quickpay Ltd, an ATM business.
The court heard Ms Mercer became concerned about what Mr Jones was doing and police covertly recorded them on the phone discussing the accounts.
Police also obtained emails. On February 14 last year Mr Jones emailed Ms Mercer and advised “the ATM income and expense needs to match, can’t have $1.2 million income and only 300k expense.”
It goes on to state: “need to show profit of only 30k to 50k”.
Police said Ms Mercer also became concerned in phone calls on June 17, 19 and 28 last year about the gyms, worried about what “is shown in the accounting records and he attributes blank cash cheques to which bank account”.
Ms Mercer was given a bond without convictions for her early guilty plea.
Magistrate Stephen Lee said Ms Mercer employed by people with “significant power“ over her, but that did not excuse her poor judgment.
Earlier a co-accused, John Voitin, a lawyer for the Comanchero, faced the court.
The South Melbourne lawyer, whose offices have been raided by anti-bike Echo taskforce detectives, is charged with falsifying a record for an accounting purpose”.
He will contest the charge.
Police raided Mr Voitin after investigating the Comanchero’s financial transactions.
It is alleged Mr Voitin disbursed funds via bank accounts. Murray is currently behind bars.