Jesse Marrogi avoids spending Christmas behind bars after appeal bail granted

Jesse Marrogi, younger brother of jailed crime boss George Marrogi, has been granted bail after appealing a jail sentence for his role in a money-laundering syndicate.

The younger brother of jailed crime boss George Marrogi will avoid spending Christmas behind bars after he was granted appeal bail for his role in a money-laundering syndicate.

Jesse Marrogi, 27, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where he was handed a seven-month jail term after pleading guilty to dealing in the suspected proceeds of crime over $140,000 transferred into accounts he had access to.

But his lawyer, Daniel Georgiou, immediately appealed the sentence and applied for bail which was granted with conditions including he surrender his passport and not leave Victoria until his appeal hearing in April.

Madlin Enwiya, Jesse Marrogi and his girlfriend, Sabrine Maghnie, outside Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Earlier, Magistrate Kieran Gilligan said Jesse’s role was more serious than that of his mother, Madlin Enwiya, who pleaded guilty to the same charge but avoided jail, ordering he serve at least four months before he could be freed on a recognizance release order.

The court heard Jesse received 14 payments of $10,000 which were transferred through accounts linked to a company named J Marrogi Auto and Prestige between March 2021 and April 2022.

The money was from his late older sister Meshlin who allegedly helped clean her older brother’s drug money by directing who received the funds and how long it remained in their account.

Meshlin, who died from Covid in 2021, agreed to fund Jesse’s luxury car dealership if he cleaned up his act.

But after her untimely death, the court heard the business lost its “driving force” and Jesse relapsed into drug abuse and used the money to fund his online gambling habit.

He placed 120 bets totalling $385,000 through his Sportsbet account after transferring from company accounts, though he later returned more than $190,000.

Meshlin Marrogi, who died from Covid in 2021, agreed to fund Jesse’s luxury car dealership if he cleaned up his act.

In his sentence remarks, Mr Gilligan acknowledged there was “ongoing animosity” towards the Marrogi family as evident by the desecration of Meshlin’s grave when thieves attempted to steal her body earlier this year.

Wearing a white Prada jumper, Jesse sat quietly behind his lawyer during the hearing alongside his mother and girlfriend Sabrine Maghnie, the daughter of slain gangland figure Nabil Maghnie.

His mother, Enwiya, 56, pleaded guilty to the same charge as her son after $77,880 was deposited into her personal bank account in 27 transactions named “salary” in 2021 and 2022.

Mr Gilligan jailed her for three months but immediately released her on a recognizance release order on the condition she pay a $1000 bond and be of good behaviour for 12 months.

Jesse Marrogi and his mother Madlin Enwiya outside Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Picture: Nicki Connolly

The order is only available for federal offences and is similar to a suspended sentence which means jail time can be avoided if certain conditions are met.

Mr Gilligan said Enwiya’s role in the money laundering syndicate was relatively minor but still warranted a jail term.

“Your role was passive and you were not the author or instigator of the deposits,” he said.

“On the other hand, you derived benefit from the money.”

The court previously heard Enwiya turned to gambling as she struggled with the trauma of her son’s jailing and her daughter’s death.

The two members of George Marrogi’s inner circle were among 24 people charged as part of a money-laundering investigation into his multimillion-dollar drug empire which he ran from behind bars.

George founded the Notorious Crime Family from his prison cell in 2019 while he was serving jail time for the murder of Kadir Ors.

Jesse will appear in the County Court for an appeal hearing on April 12.