AN accused member of an armed robbery gang that beat charges of stealing $6 million was fooled into making confessions in an undercover operation that infiltrated his social group, police claim.
When Corey George Farrell was found not guilty in 2012 for his alleged role in a number of hits on armoured vans, where AK-47 assault rifles were fired by masked men who got away in stolen sports cars, it was a humiliating blow to police.
Farrell, 27, from Leichhardt, was one of four men who walked free after a five-month trial on a combined 34 charges. The charges related to six robberies in 2009 at Potts Point, North Sydney, Lane Cove, Epping and Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill.
Police only recovered $500,000 of the $5.6 million total and two stolen BMWs containing military assault rifles, pistols, other weapons and bulletproof police vests.
Investigators were never going to give up easily and may have landed a recovery blow, according to documents tendered to Central Local Court during Farrell’s bail application on Monday.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that months after the acquittal, police put in play a daring operation, which saw two “undercover operatives” develop a “close friendship” with Farrell and his girlfriend, Amanda Ibrahim.
The operatives got so close to Farrell and Ibrahim they joined them on a holiday and convinced them to allegedly reveal information that contradicted evidence they gave at the trial. Both have now been charged with money laundering offences.
Police also used phone intercepts which revealed Farrell allegedly attempted to “conceal and launder” $500,000 through North Sydney financier Ian David Lazar before the pair fell out over repayment of the money.
Farrell threatened to “return to his ruthless ways” to recover it, court documents said. The money was allegedly washed through the building industry and Farrell allegedly recovered part of the money from Mr Lazar “following some persuasion by criminal associates involved in the debt collection industry”. Mr Lazar was not charged.
Police also claim to have “lawfully recorded” another alleged gang member — who for legal reasons can’t be named because of another trial — allegedly claiming to have laundered $1.2 million from the robberies and invested it in “organised crime syndicates in return for monthly interest payments”.
The man was also allegedly recorded admitting that he gave “false evidence” at the trial and to the “deliberate construction” of evidence that blamed the Crown’s star witness for being responsible for the robberies. Farrell and Ibrahim were arrested on June 16 and charged by officers from the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad. Farrell was also charged with the attempted shooting murder of promising boxer Joshua Smart and his father Michael Smart at Pyrmont on April 6.
On Monday, Farrell was refused bail. His solicitor Ben Archbold declined to comment. According to court documents, the two operatives joined Farrell and Ibrahim on an “overnight trip” to the Hunter Valley on August 15, 2013. Farrell allegedly admitted to the operative that he “compromised Ibrahim” by hiding almost $500,000 in the boot of her BMW, which was later seized by police.
Ibrahim initially told police Farrell had given her the bag and she didn’t know what was in it. When one of the operatives asked if that was all of the money, Farrell allegedly responded: “I would never be that stupid.” Police allege the context of the conversation was that the money “represented a considerable part of his share of proceeds from the robberies”.
When asked if Ibrahim knew the money was in the car, he allegedly said: “Ahh, she knew.” In the original trial, Ibrahim had denied “constructing evidence”.
AN abusive relationship and a series of angry text messages from an aspiring Sydney boxer to his girlfriend allegedly saw the woman’s brother try to shoot the pugilist and his father dead.
Corey George Farrell allegedly shot boxer Joshua Smart in the back and his father Michael Smart in the head with a 9mm pistol as they tried to run from their attacker outside their Ultimo home about 10.30pm on April 6.
Farrell has been charged with two counts of wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and two of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Documents tendered at the 27-year-old’s bail application at Central Local Court on Monday said police believe the shooting was an “organised and premeditated” attempt to kill Smart because he had abused Monique and threatened members of the Farrell family via text message.
Smart was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence after he allegedly refused to help the police. On April 2, Smart sent a series of texts to Monique, including one that said: “I’m gunna f…… kill you s...”.
THE following are text messages sent by Sydney boxer Joshua Smart and his girlfriend Monique Farrell that were included in the police case against Corey George Farrell. He is accused of shooting Smart in the back and his father Michael Smart in the head with a 9mm pistol on April 6 this year.
2nd April, 2014:
JS to Monique Farrell, 7.49pm onwards - "I'm gonna f**kin kill u s**t"; "I will get your brother"; "Ur dead"; "I'm coming your house now"; "U igorne me good makes me wanna get u more dog"; "I'm gunna kill u s**t"; "where are u s**t u ain't f**king home u sneaky s**t cause I am coming there now u dead dog it's on f**k u"; "I hope I shot u in the head and u die u leso s**t how f**king dear u come to me and f**king low u s**t u sneaky lying s**t !0"
JS to associate - "Yeah just lost it and smashed my gf car up Gibbs kill the s**t"; "Gunna"; "I wanna go shot kill her and her brother"
JS to MF, 9:03pm - "U dead slit"; "s**t"
April 3, 2014:
JS to MF, 12;47pm: Ur dead s**t today u will see"; "Can't wat to see your brother today"; "U dead dogg u wait"; "I am gunna serious hurt u".
JS to MF, 1:21pm: Don't worry u won't hear from me again on my way over this will make sure we over for good make sure George is there ok so me and him can sort it out ok hope u happy u took a fat s**t over me ah well s**t happens see u on about 10 mins."
JS to MF, 1:44pm: "today the day I will wait down the road for him or your mum to get bak"
JS to MF: "f**k it tell your brother lets go"; "I will shot the c**t and bash the f**k out ff him" ; "Wait till lance is out he is gone to."
MF to JS: "why shot when u can fight lol"
JS to MF: "I will od both I will flog the c**t outta him u will see wath me"; "U will get it to I hope I get locked up after it all."
JS to MF, 2:15pm: "No u done this to me u made me like this again u should f**k with me why I got a gun"
JS to MF, 2:38pm: "I'm gunn a killy";"Ur brother a weak dog he's dead"; "u wanna f**k with me"; dead f**kingdogs"; "U wait bullet in the dog"; "u will see u s**t"; "You wanna treat me like a f**king gronk"; "No ur dead s**t"; "Tell dog I will punch the c**t out of him an he's gf a low s**t who f**ked everyone dont I will write to them now"; "Sweet I will errors to all thes s**t ad show them my f**king gun see if they wanna laugh and think I am a ducking idiot"
MF to JS, 2:54pm: "And delete your statuses Corey and all the girls are just saying how embarassing it is josh u don't understand ppl laugh at all the s**t u say and not just the girls"; "omg tha's so embarrassing like do u think its cool u got a gun josh it's embarrassing no one cares u have a gun"
JS to MF, 11:44pm: "Anyway i gotta talk to u tomorrow to something I got told".
Sunday April 6, 2014
JS to MF, 6:58pm: "...u started this fight to run to rhis monique i have to come your house to end this u blocked me on insta so u can add guys i gotta come to Tyrone or your hopuse I'm only with Steven i got my pieces with me just in casr i just wanna fight geroge and get the truth out I will come Tyrone first if anyone wants to have a go i will but u done this i gotta end this i can't let u do this anymore so come out at Tyrone or i will go off or I will wat at your house I'm in a white car tell me now before i do something stupid anyways won't call u or text i will just go there now i warned u I dnt care if i get locked up I am done with everything see us soon sorry it had to come to this love u always this has to happen x i swore on my nan."
JS to MF 7:18pm: " I'm around the corner can't believe I am gunna do this"
MF to JS, 7:19pm: "f**k off you come near my family you low dog."
MF to JS, 9:58pm: "It's over."
Following messages marked as directly after shooting at 10:37pm:
JS to MF: "Ur brother just shot me and my dad"; "My dad dead."
MF to JS; "What"
JS to MF: "Ur brother killed\My dad"
JS to MF: "My dad dead i seen ur brother I've been shot to"
MF to JS: "Ok"
JS to MF: "Your brother is dead"
JS to MF: "I've been shot"
MF to JS : Ok Josh"
JS to MF: "I seen him"
JS to MF: "U wait"
MF to JS: "What are you talking about gronk"
JS to MF: "My dad is dead I have been shot I seen him the dog"
MF to JS: "Why talk s**t gronk wake up to yourself"
JS to MF "Your brother is dead"
MF to JS: "Ok u wouldn't be talking"
JS to MF: "I'm shot I am ok but my dad is ducked"
JS to MF: "Ur brother is dead"
MF to JS: "F**k off gronk"
JS to MF: "Wait u will see"
MF to JS: "Wake the f**k up"; "gronk"
Phone call from JS to MF, 9:40am April 30, 2014:
"I didn't tell them to go there, like i haven't done anything...I know you didn't do it so i don't know why you are worrying. They can't do anything without me and I know it's not him."
Phone call from JS to MF, 12:57pm:
"I don't need this s**t ... I haven't done f**king nothing wrong."
Phone call between police and JS, 16 June 2014, 11:40am:
"What happens to me now, because I did not make a statement because I was scared of reprisals."
Originally published as Corey George Farrell charged with money laundering after undercover police allegedly convinced him to reveal details about armed robberies
