LUKE Brett Moore paid off his mortgage, picked himself up an Aston Martin and Maserati, and even purchased a $54,000 power boat – all on the meagre income of a Centrelink allowance.
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The 27-year-old Goulburn man was last week found guilty of obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Moore in March of 2010 opened a Complete Freedom account with the St George Bank’s Goulburn Branch.
He wasn’t expecting to have complete freedom, however.
Over a two year period, Moore overdrew the account to the tune of $2.189 million.
He made transfers into PayPal and National Australia Bank accounts to cover his tracks.
A three-day Goulburn District Court hearing last week found that a staff member’s error in setting up the St George Complete Freedom account allowed Moore the luxury of overdrawing.
Between March and July of 2010, the only credits that appeared in Moore’s account were Centrelink benefits, the Court heard.
With the freedom to overdraw the account, Moore lived the high-life.
He paid off an outstanding mortgage with Rams Home Loans; purchased luxury items, including a Maserati, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo and Stressl power boat; and accrued art works and memorabilia – from a framed Michael Jordan shirt, to signed photos of Kylie Minogue, Michael Jackson and stars from the TV show, Top Gear.
It’s these items prosecutors alleged were the products of Moore’s crime.
Last week’s hearing drew to a close more than two years of uncertainty for Luke Moore and his family.
On the morning of December 12, 2012, police raided Mr Moore’s West Goulburn home, seizing hundreds-of-thousands of dollars worth of goods in the process.
He was immediately charged with obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
But only on Thursday of last week – 26 months and seven days after the raid – was he finally found guilty.
A jury found Moore guilty of both offences. On announcing the verdict, a member of Moore’s family became distressed and was assisted from the courtroom.
The 27-year-old, who until last week had walked free on bail, will remain in custody until his sentence is handed down on April 17 at the Sydney District Court.
