A promising sportswoman and mother who was kidnapped and held hostage as a child will spend at least seven months in prison after she was caught up in a money-laundering syndicate.
Sherina Tracey-Jan Lucas, 36, was on Thursday sentenced over a 2021 incident in which she took part in an $800,000 drop-off – money police say was linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Sherina Tracey-Jan Lucas, 36, was sentenced to 15 months for involvement in a money laundering syndicate.Credit: AFP/Police Media
Lucas is the sister of a Comanchero bikie gang member Ray Cilli, who is believed to be in Asia. It is not suggested that he was involved in Lucas’s crime.
During her sentencing the court heard Lucas was asked by co-offender Vivian Armstead, Lucas’ ex-mother-in-law, to drive her to Perth because she was “in desperate need for money”, saying she needed to do a delivery but was lacking in confidence driving in traffic.
That delivery was for just shy of a million dollars in cash and Armstead is now serving a two-year jail term for her involvement.
But the court heard Lucas, from Seville Grove, asked no questions about what the delivery was for, despite knowing Armstead “may well have some kind of connection to organised crime”, said Judge Linda Black.
She added that it would have later “become obvious” to Lucas that she was involved in “shifting money for some sort of unlawful operation”.
“It was, I must say, bluntly, the strangest and craziest decision you’ve probably made in your adult life,” Black told Lucas during her sentencing hearing.
“A pregnant lady, sitting in a car, carrying close to a million dollars cash, and not even necessarily expecting to get anything much out of it. I can only ask you: what on Earth were you thinking?”
The court heard Lucas had before this incident avoided being involved in crime despite being surrounded by people who “could have quite easily dragged you into unlawful activity”.
“Ms Lucas? You’re an idiot. You must never find yourself back in this position again,” she told the woman.
Police found almost a million dollars at a Perth home.Credit: AFP/Police Media
Black told the court Lucas was a talented sportswoman who had aspirations for the Olympics, had studied at Murdoch University and led a productive life despite being kidnapped and held hostage by an ex-partner when she was 14 years old for six months.
Lucas was “assaulted in brutal and horrific ways,” Black said, not just by him but by two of his relatives.
“This was undoubtedly an extremely traumatic event in your life, particularly at such a young age,” she said.
She had, the court was told, gone on to become a good mother, recently giving birth to a new baby who may spend time in prison with her.
She was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 7½ months.
She is the third person sentenced over the incident, with Armstead and 38-year-old Jing Zhang being convicted for their roles. Zhang, from Cloverdale, received a 2½-year sentence.