Tell him he’s scheming
Cops claim luxury lifestyle was funded by scam
AN ELDERLY ex-Gold Coast man who made almost a million bucks from an alleged cold call investment scam had been living a life of luxury.
But that ended yesterday morning when detectives swooped on 74-year-old Robert Gordon Stewart at a Clayfield, Brisbane home where they also seized a convertible BMW.
Mr Stewart faces charges of fraud, money laundering and perjury for his alleged involvement in the cold call syndicate.
The bust comes 18 months after a police investigation started into links between a Gold Coast Finks bikie and two telemarketing companies which allegedly defrauded victims out of $3 million in total.
Queensland police’s Organised Crime Gangs Group alleged Mr Stewart obtained 950,000 from the “enterprise”, spending the bulk of it buying and renovating a $750,000 luxury yacht.
Property records also show Mr Stewart as co-owner of a Surfers Paradise unit bought for $425,000 in 2015.
Separately, a Finks bikie and five others had previously been charged during the investigation.
“This morning’s activities saw the execution of search warrants at a Clayfield residential address and also the office of a Gold Coast law firm,” Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Gough said.
“The defendant was taken into custody without incident. We allege the victim’s money was fraudulently appropriated by the defendant, including to fund the $750,000 purchase of the vessel.”
Gold Coast boat broker Adrian Seiffert, who sold the luxury Monte Fino 70-footer called Montage for Mr Stewart, told the Bulletin it was put up for auction late last year with no reserve.
He recalled it selling for a touch under $600,000.
“He was a bit different, he was pretty abrupt,” Mr Seiffert said of Mr Stewart, who he described as very fit looking for 74.
“He didn’t say let’s sit down and have a beer or a wine, he just called and said he wanted to sell the boat.”
Mr Seiffert said he believed he had been using it for personal use and not chartering it.
The broker had also dealt with him several years earlier when Mr Stewart bought a smaller boat for about $100,000.
The perjury charges Mr Stewart faces related to “examinations held at the Crime and Corruption Commission during the investigation”, Detective Senior Sergeant Gough said yesterday.
It was expected Mr Stewart would appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today when police are likely to object to bail.