Notorious Finks boss Brent ‘BJ’ Reker dies in prison
The body of heavily tattooed bikie boss Brent “BJ” Reker has been found in prison, months after his bail was overturned over a vicious alleged bashing linked to nude photos.
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A notorious bikie boss has been found dead in a Melbourne prison.
The body of Finks boss Brent “BJ” Reker was found at Ravenhall Correctional Centre on Thursday afternoon.
The Herald Sun understands his death is not being treated as suspicious.
A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokeswoman confirmed an investigation into his death will be carried out.
“As with all deaths in custody, the Coroner will investigate and formally determine the cause of death,” said the spokeswoman.
The heavily-tattooed bikie was on remand facing serious charges over a vicious alleged bashing linked to leaked nude photos.
A court previously heard Reker, 35, stormed a Hampton Park home on September 9, 2018, allegedly with three other patched Finks — all dressed in their bike gang colours — and bashed a man with a baseball bat and tyre lever before threatening to kill his partner and children if they called police.
Reker and his co-accused, Pierce Williams and Nathan Martinow, had allegedly been enlisted by Tara Egglestone — also charged — to stand over the man who she believed was responsible for posting naked pictures of her online.
“He’ll never walk again. He’s going to be in a wheelchair,” Reker was allegedly overheard telling Ms Egglestone in a bugged conversation.
The group was charged with offences including conspiring to commit aggravated home invasion, trespass with intent to assault, threat to kill, and assault.
In 2011, Reker had a case dropped in court after the prosecution’s two key non-police witnesses failed to show at court.
The magistrate awarded Reker $5000 in costs over the case which was police accused the bikie of being involved in a street fight with a member of a rival gang.
In 2012, he was jailed for three years for attempting to extort $2000 or record two teens bashing their friend after they were accused falsely boasting of having links with the gang.
In another incident, a car belonging to a lawyer who represented Reker was firebombed with a molotov cocktail.
Reker was a former sergeant-at-arms at Rock Machine outlaw bikie group, and then shifted to the Finks.
Reker and his two co-accused were granted bail on January 18.
But their freedom was cut short a month later and the three were returned to prison in a rare prosecution appeal.
The decision was made by Supreme Court judge Christopher Beale, who agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd that magistrate Michael McNamara made an error in granting the trio bail.
The bikie boss was also targeted in a drive-by shooting and firebombing attack on his Frankston home last June.
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Reker was inside his rented Warrain St home at the time with his wife and infant son, and his Holden Commodore was set alight.
He was due to next reappear at the County Court on June 29, 2020 for a final directions hearing.
His co-accused, Pierce Williams, Nathan Martinow, Joshua Goss, Corey Wanakore-Moeke and Tara Egglestone, are listed for the same court appearance.