Gangland lawyer Sarah Tricarico given green light for overseas trip while on bail

A Melbourne gangland lawyer charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice has been given the green light by a court to jet overseas on a family trip while on bail.

A gangland lawyer charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice has successfully argued her bail conditions should be eased so she can jet off overseas.

Sarah Tricarico, 38, who has recently represented jailed drug lord Tony Mokbel, was charged on Thursday after evidence against her was allegedly uncovered during Operation Ironside, dubbed the “sting of the century”, in 2021.

The Maribyrnong woman fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after hiring one of the most high-profile defence barristers in Melbourne to help her fight the charge.

Sarah Tricarico has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Dermot Dann KC told Magistrate Michelle Hodgson his client was seeking to vary her bail, which was granted by police on Thursday, to delete the conditions ordering her to surrender her passport and not attend points of international departure.

“She has overseas travel booked with her mother and son … and she has already provided details to the (police) informant,” Mr Dann said.

No details of the trip were aired in court, but the variation was not opposed by the prosecution.

Ms Hodgson said any “risk of flight” was mitigated by the fact these were “pre-booked travel arrangements” and Ms Tricarico had “close ties to the jurisdiction”.

She deleted the two conditions, but the remaining two ordering the accused to live at her residential address and not contact witnesses for the prosecution will remain.

Ms Hodgson said Ms Tricarico will need to return to court to further vary her bail before she leaves the country, since she is currently required to reside at home.

Ms Tricarico has overseas travel booked with her mother and son. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

The charge sheet alleges Ms Tricarico on February 5, 2019, instructed her co-accused Youssef Raffoul to “remotely delete the contents of a mobile phone” she believed had been used by an accused man prior to his arrest.

“It had the tendency of hindering the inspection of that mobile phone by Victoria Police officers for the purposes of the investigation and prosecution of (the accused man) for serious offending,” it alleges.

Dressed in a black blazer, skirt and stilettos, Ms Tricarico was supported by loved ones during the filing hearing.

The prosecution requested more time to complete the brief of evidence, given the police investigation included the “mapping” of mobile phones.

But Mr Dann opposed that request, arguing his client wanted the criminal matter to proceed as quickly as possible.

“She maintains her innocence,” he said.

Ms Hodgson refused the prosecution’s request, ordering the brief to be served on Ms Tricarico’s lawyers by April 24.

Tricarico has been handling the Lawyer X appeal for Tony Mokbel. Picture: Joel Carrett

Operation Ironside was the result of the development of an encrypted APP known as AN0M, developed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and AFP.

The unprecedented sting enabled authorities to read serious organised crime messages in real time after it was disseminated throughout the underworld.

Ms Tricarico has been handling the Lawyer X appeal for Mokbel, which began in 2017, but has also represented other gangland figures, including jailed crime kingpin George Marrogi.

Her arrest on Thursday came on the same day she was due to appear in court for Mokbel as part of proceedings relating to his marathon appeal against his convictions.

Mr Dann told the court Ms Tricarico, who does not currently hold a practising certificate, would be “hoping to resolve” that issue with the Victorian Legal Services Board in the near future.

Mr Raffoul, 33, from Coburg, has also been charged with attempting to pervert the course and fronted court on Tuesday.

The pair will return to court on June 5 for committal mention.