By Jeremy Sollars
A man charged with cattle fraud in excess of $1.5 million is next due to have the matter mentioned in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday 3 December.
Anthony Robert Lee, 65, of Evans Head in New South Wales, is alleged to have placed an advertisement in rural media in early 2017 for a company wanting to purchase cattle for processing for export.
A Queensland Police Media statement issued in February this year said that “as a result, three cattle properties contacted the company in April, May and June 2017 where they entered into contracts to supply Wagyu and Wagyu cross cattle”.
“It will then be alleged the companies did not receive full payment for the sales agreed upon after supplying the cattle,” the statement said.
Detectives from the Queensland Police State Crime Command’s Major and Organised Crime Squad (Rural) charged Lee after what they described as a “protracted fraud investigation”.
Lee first appeared in the Lismore Local Court in late February after his arrest in NSW and was afterwards placed in the custody of Queensland police.
He has not yet been required to enter a plea.
Detectives have described the alleged $1.5m fraud as “crippling” to the cattle industry and the cattle companies involved.
One of the companies involved is based in Springsure in Central Queensland and another is based in Charters Towers, while the other two are based in New South Wales.
Police believe there could be more victims of this fraud and are encouraging anyone who may have responded to the advertisement to contact them.
• Got information on this major fraud? Call Policelink on 131 444 or report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers 24 hours a day on 1800 333 000.
