Mongols bikie Josh Eddy’s Cobram crime empire a family affair

Josh Eddy was subservient to Mongol bosses in the big smoke but called the shots of a crime empire in Cobram. These are the key players who kept his operation ticking.

The country town crime empire of Joshua Eddy was a family affair, with a little help from some friends.

Eddy – though subservient to Mongol forces in the big smoke – called the shots locally where he ran an overtly legitimate vehicle detailing business called Cartel.

That was really a facade for Eddy’s main enterprise – selling drugs and lots of them while acting as sergeant-at-arms for the Mongols’ Riverside chapter.

The Merc-driving bikie’s illicit business interests extended into at least three states, ably assisted by his father David.

Dad Eddy was a key player in the businesses, doing marathon drug runs to other rural centres and interstate while armed with a pistol, just to be on the safe side.

Josh’s father, David Eddy, went on marathon drug runs. Source: Facebook

His Gemmill St home, shared with daughter Jaide, was the syndicate stash house, where product was kept in a secret purpose-built compartment in a wall behind the refrigerator.

Jaide, sister to Josh, looked more bookkeeper than drug dealer but she later pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine after allegations she was dealing to divert attention from other syndicate members.

Her case was discharged in 2022 when she completed a diversion program.

Shane Eddy, the uncle of Josh, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine for the syndicate and was allegedly busted with large amounts of cash.

He was convicted and fined $4000 in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court.

Josh’s sister, Jaide, may have looked like a bookkeeper, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine.

Cousin Kayla Eddy pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine after allegedly living in luxury off the back of her activities.

She escaped conviction but was fined $2500.

Matthew Eddy, another cousin of Josh, was charged with cocaine trafficking and later pleading guilty to attempting to traffick GHB, for which he was given a 14-month community corrections order.

But he was not spared prison over a brutal November, 2023, attack in a Cobram hotel in which he kicked a defenceless man to the head, knocking the victim unconscious.

Matthew Eddy was jailed over a cowardly kicking attack on a defenceless victim.

Josh Eddy’s ex-wife, Tanane Barrett, pleaded guilty to negligently dealing in the proceeds of crime and was fined $1000 without conviction.

She and Eddy, who met at age 13, have two young sons.

Lewis Dickson, who worked for Josh Eddy at Cartel, pleaded guilty to trafficking GHB and weapons and explosives offences.

Patched Mongols and associates of the OMCG from three Victorian chapters and interstate were scooped up as part of the inquiry which had started in Cobram.

New South Wales Mongol associate Kyle Assigal bought 195 grams of cocaine from Eddy in a deal carried out at Cartel.

Matthew Peagram in a Josh Eddy-co-ordinated 9kg shipment of meth into West Australia. Picture: Supplied

He later pleaded guilty to possession and was placed on a community corrections order.

Mongol Riverside chapter prospect Ricky Eldridge, who was part of the Eddy syndicate, was fined $2000 with no conviction for cocaine trafficking, gun charges and possessing the proceeds of crime.

Joshua Howard, a cousin of Kayla Eddy and member of the East Side chapter at Ferntree Gully, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and was fined $2500, escaping a conviction.

Bailey Herring, a prospect with the Mongols’ Riverside chapter, pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking, GHB possession, explosives offences and proceeds of crime breaches.

Braden Clifton, another Riverside prospect, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and possession of an imitation firearm and was jailed for two months.

Clifton is now with the Burn City chapter.

Ashley Ciccone is the president of the Mongols Raiders Riverside chapter. Picture: Facebook

Ashley Ciccone, the president of the Mongols Raiders Riverside chapter, was jailed for aggravated burglary based on evidence yielded by the Cobram probe.

Matthew Peagram and Samuel Wood, who were involved in a Josh Eddy-co-ordinated 9kg shipment of meth into West Australia, both received long jail terms in that state.

Montather Al Mousawi was busted making a succession of cocaine sales totalling 224 grams to undercover cops involved in the Echo operation.

The drugs, supplied by Eddy, went for $60,000.

Originally published as Mongols bikie Josh Eddy’s Cobram crime empire a family affair