Ex-cop Michael John Featherstone and his son Zach Michael Featherstone to stand trial over multimillion-dollar scam
A former Gold Coast detective-turned-private investigator
will stand trial with a reality TV contestant for their alleged involvement in
a multimillion-dollar telemarketing scam.
Ex-cop Michael John Featherstone and his son Zach Michael
Featherstone were committed to the Brisbane District Court on Tuesday over
money laundering and fraud offences.
The charges and alleged dates of offending were disclosed
during the committal hearing for the Featherstones in the Brisbane Magistrates
Court.
Police began investigating the alleged cold-calling scheme
in 2013.
In total, 12 people were charged over the alleged scheme
that raked in between $15 million and $20 million from 600 victims.
Michael Featherstone has been charged with seven counts of
fraud, which allegedly occurred between September 27, 2012, and September 9,
2014, and one count of money laundering from January 30, 2011, to September 9,
2014.
The former detective left the Queensland Police Service in
1996. He has not held a private investigator’s licence since late 2014.
He told the court he would plead not guilty to the charges.
His son, Zach, has been charged with five counts of fraud
and one count of money laundering between September 27, 2012, and September 9,
2014.
He did not indicate how he would plead to the charges.
Among the co-accused is Married at First Sight 2019
contestant Daniel Philip Webb, who was committed to stand trial on July 9, as
well as Jason Troy Trouchet.
The other eight charged over the alleged scam are Kirsty
Maria Lester, Patrik Rasmus Goransson, Charlie Mikael Goransson, Robert John
Doueihi, Travis Charles Burch, Vincent Alexander McDonald, Douglas Owen Traynor
and Natchamon Srisunanrat.
All 12 have been committed to stand trial.
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