Jake Matthew Friel allegedly purchased Audi using fraudulent loan

A Highton man is accused of a sophisticated fraud involving false identities and interstate travel, as he allegedly deceived a finance company to secure a loan for a luxury car.

Jake Friel. Picture: Facebook

A Highton man who was supposed to appear in court was instead on his way to the airport to pick up a $112,000 car in New South Wales as a result of fraudulently obtaining a loan, police allege.

Jake Matthew Friel, 34, appeared by video link in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday on a number of charges including obtaining property by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime. He was refused bail.

Mr Friel is accused of scamming a loan by supplying falsified documentation to a finance company in Queensland to purchase a car in New South Wales.

Mr Friel, who is on four counts of bail for similar related alleged offending, was ordered not to leave Victoria, not to drive a motor vehicle and not use drugs.

Police informant Senior Constable Sam McDonald said Mr Friel has taken out the loan of more than $100,000 in the name of another person and provided false documentation by email that included a driver’s licence, Medicare card, falsified pay slips and multiple ATO income statements.

Constable McDonald said Mr Friel was due to appear in the Geelong court on December 19 last year, but appeared by link.

During the link it appeared Mr Friel was sitting in a vehicle.

Police believe Mr Friel was on his way to the Avalon Airport to purchase tickets.

Days later, he was arrested on December 21 at 3.30am when police found an unlicensed Mr Friel driving on the Princess Freeway near Werribee.

A search of the car found tablets, documents not belonging to him, a number of mobile phones, a Jetstar plane ticket not in his name, five identification cards which did not belong to him, a plastic container with a white substance and a number of other items.

The court heard CCTV footage from an AMPOL service station showed Mr Friel at a petrol station in New South Wales on December 20, with a white Audi which had been sold for $112,000.

Constable McDonald told the court police had clear CCTV footage of Mr Friel going through Avalon Airport security.

Mr Friel’s lawyer, Lauren Tye, said her client had a “complicated history” and had been using drugs since the age of 10.

Ms Tye said Mr Friel has been using methamphetamine and was continuing to get himself in trouble with police and incur debt.

Magistrate Peter Mellas refused to grant bail and described the alleged offending as “sophisticated”.

“It involves allegations of false identities, moving between states, convincing people that you’re a genuine buyer, not someone who is running on meth,” Mr Mellas said.

Originally published as Jake Matthew Friel allegedly purchased Audi using fraudulent loan