Bikie’s ex avoids jail over laundering cash
A FORMER topless waitress has walked away without a conviction after pleading guilty to laundering thousands of dollars for her bikie boyfriend.
Yesterday the Southport District Court heard SharnaLee Brown was “young”, “naive” and “simple” when she withdrew $32,000 from a bank account she made for her exboyfriend and former Finks treasurer Jacob Staines while she was in a relationship with him in December 2015.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of conducting transactions to avoid reporting requirements.
The court heard Ms Brown opened a Bank of Queensland account for Mr Staines but was unaware she would be helping him to siphon money.
Mr Staines then deposited $150,000 of defrauded money into the account.
Two days later Ms Brown withdrew $32,000 in $5000 and $9000 increments from bank branches across the Gold Coast within a two-hour period.
Police were notified by the bank of the suspicious activity and they found out the money had been allegedly transferred into the account by Mr Staines, who appeared to be a director of the company which had been the subject of previous fraud complaints.
Police seized the $118,000 that remained in the account.
Mr Staines was arrested for allegedly defrauding $3 million from victims through Surfers Paradise boiler room scams in October last year.
In court yesterday Ms Brown’s lawyer said the Gold Coast barmaid and bikini model had met Mr Staines five months before the offence was committed.
Ms Brown’s lawyer said his client conceded she was simple and naive to go through with the process, which was described as “extremely unsophisticated offending”.
He said Ms Brown hoped to avoid having a conviction recorded against her because she had progressed from exotic waitressing to working as an oral health nurse.
He said Ms Brown hoped to study oral hygiene at university which could eventually require criminal background checks to work with radiology equipment.
He said Ms Brown had no criminal history and support from family ensured she was unlikely to reoffend.
Ms Brown’s offence carried a maximum penalty of five years jail time.
Judge Catherine Muir said she did not think Ms Brown required imprisonment.
She gave Ms Brown a threeyear, $3000 good behaviour bond. No conviction was recorded.
“This is fairly unsophisticated conduct which fits in with the submission of the defence which states that this is naive conduct,” Judge Muir said.