Disgraced Geelong developer Raymond Tweedly fleeces $1m from mates with bogus business

A disgraced Geelong developer has duped friends out of more than $1m with a bogus garbage business, while falsely claiming backing from high ranking politicians and governments.

Raymond Tweedly pictured in 2014 after a previous court appearance for earlier real estate scams. Picture: Supplied.

A shifty former Geelong property developer has fleeced more than $1m from his mates for a dodgy garbage business he claimed had the support of shadow treasurer Angus Taylor.

Raymond Tweedly pleaded guilty to obtaining financial advantage by deception and attempting to pervert the course of justice via a video link from custody in the County Court of Victoria on Friday.

Tweedly swindled $1.159m from three friends — including close to $1m from a man who was undergoing chemotherapy.

He tricked his friends to invest in a dodgy garbage incineration business name ‘No Waste’ which he claimed had the support of the Victorian and federal governments.

Tweedly convinced three people to invest in his bogus garbage incineration business. Picture: Supplied

Tweedly used his silver tongue to convince his victims he had flown to Canberra in a private jet to pitch the waste business to shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and other high ranking government officials.

He also claimed the business had attracted investment offers from the Exxon Mobil and the Philippines government.

Tweedly used business documents and other associates to convince people to invest, including using one victim — who was an accountant — to rope in another victim.

Rather than funnelling the funds into the business, Tweedly used them to purchase luxury cars and property.

Tweedly also took money from a man he pretended he was purchasing a house for in Italy.

After his arrest, police heard Tweedly plotting with another associate to get victims to retract their police statements via calls from his jail cell.

Judge Fran Dalziel said Tweedly was a “good fraudster” because of his ability to recruit other people to be the spokesman for his scams.

The court heard Tweedly — who has prior convictions for fleecing friends — caused “significant embarrassment and hurt” to his victims.

His victims are yet to be repaid their money.

Tweedly will next appear in court on May 15 to be sentenced.

Originally published as Disgraced Geelong developer Raymond Tweedly fleeces $1m from mates with bogus business