Promoter Andrew McManus Busted

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

www.pwinsider.com/article/96478/former-wrestling-promoter-arrested-as-part-of-international-drug-syndicate-bust.html?p=1

FORMER WRESTLING PROMOTER ARRESTED AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG SYNDICATE BUST
By Mike Johnson on 2015-09-10 12:43:53


Former World Wrestling All-Stars promoter Andrew McManus was among those arrested yesterday in Australia and the United States as part of a major drug bust that concluded a four year investigation into an alleged syndicate.
McManus, 54, was arrested at Melbourne airport yesterday in Australia and charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and knowingly participating in a criminal group.

United States and Australian authorities had been investigating the drug ring since the discovery of $700,000 in a briefcase at a hotel in Sydney, Australia in 2011 when a tipster called authorities claimed there was a gun in the room. There was no gun found but the money was discovered.

The money was in the possession of a personal trainer named Sean Carolon, who claimed it was given to him by United States businessman Owen Hanson Jr. as an investment in a weight loss company. The money was seized by authorities. Carolon went to court to have the money returned, only for McManus to then lay claim to the funds.

McManus claimed the funds were profits from a Lenny Kravitz tour that he had brought back into the country using different crew members to carry the cash over the border and then had reassembled once in Australia.

"I'm not a d**khead but ... if this went to the [Australian Tax Office], I'd be cooked again," Mr McManus said to police during an interview.

McManus also claimed the money was being given to Hanson as reimbursement for an advance Hanson had covered for a ZZ Topp tour. When speaking with authorities, McManus' additional extravagant money claims, which raised the eyebrows of authorities. In the end, the $700,000 remained held by authorities.

McManus' charges today come from his attempts to get the $700,000 returned to him.

All of the aforementioned and others were arrested yesterday with some charged with money laundering and allegedly importing 300 kilograms of cocaine.

McManus, a well known international music promoter AT THE time, formed the WWA in early 2001 with a tour of Australia utilizing WCW and ECW names that hadn't been picked up by WWE after those companies folded a year prior including Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, Sting, Lex Luger, and Sabu. The company did extremely well on its early tours of Europe and Australia before WWE came into the markets and captured the audience for itself. WWA ran five PPV events, including a forgettable live show in Las Vegas, with its final event being held in May 2003, where Jeff Jarrett defeating Sting to unify the NWA and WWA championships.

For more, click here:

www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-police-fbi-swoop-on-alleged-drug-syndicate-20150910-gjjy5f.html#ixzz3lM3j07Cd


Thanks to Rick Bagnall.

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-police-fbi-swoop-on-alleged-drug-syndicate-20150910-gjjy5f.html#ixzz3lM3j07Cd



NSW Police, FBI, swoop on alleged drug syndicate


A high-profile music promoter, a Sydney solicitor and a known crime figure are among five people arrested in Australia and the United States on Thursday in connection with an alleged importation of 300 kilograms of cocaine and money laundering.
Music identity Andrew McManus, 54, was arrested at Melbourne airport last night, following the arrests in Sydney of crime figure Craig Haeusler, Kings Cross solicitor Michael Croke and Auburn pastry shop owner Zeki Atilgan.
It’s not the proceeds of crime, it’s the proceeds of Andrew McManus.

The international investigation, sparked by the discovery of a suitcase filled with $700,000 cash at Sydney's Hilton Hotel, also netted the arrest of US businessman Owen Hanson Junior, as he played a round of golf in San Diego.

Mr Hanson previously ran the business Advanced Peptide Solutions with Sean Carolan, a Sydney-based former cage-fighter and racehorse trainer-turned personal trainer.
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A spokesman from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said the agency had been working closely with Australian law enforcement on the operation.
"Mr Hanson, was arrested by FBI Agents assigned to the San Diego FBI Field Office who have been working with the New South Wales Police Department," a statement said.

"New South Wales Police Department Detectives were present during the arrest of Mr Hanson."
Mr Hanson was arrested on federal drug charges and appeared in court on Wednesday US time, where he was remanded in custody to appear again on Friday US time (Saturday afternoon AEST).
​The investigation, by the FBI, the NSW Organised Crime Squad and the Australian Crime Commission, began when Mr Carolan was discovered in August 2011 at the Hilton in possession of a black suitcase containing $702,000.


Fairfax Media has previously revealed police were actually called to the hotel after an anonymous tip-off that the occupant of room 3026 in the Hilton Hotel had a gun.
The occupant - Mr Carolan - didn't have the gun, only the bag of cash.
On the night, Mr Carolan claimed the money belonged to his business partner Mr Hanson jnr, who he said was investing in Mr Carolan's weight loss business. The money was confiscated, but Mr Carolan took action in the Supreme Court to have the money returned.


But in extraordinary evidence tendered to the court, Mr McManus in fact claimed ownership of the bag of cash.
"I gave someone 700 large, and you've found someone with 700 large. It's my 700 large," he told police in a record of interview with detectives in April 2012.
"It's not the proceeds of crime, it's the proceeds of Andrew McManus."
He claimed the money was the proceeds from a Lenny Kravitz tour and he had used about 20 crew members to "sneak" the cash in from New Zealand. "I'm not a dickhead but ... if this went to the ATO, I'd be cooked again," Mr McManus said to police at the time.
Mr McManus went on to say he was repaying Mr Hanson who had stumped up the deposit Mr McManus needed for a ZZ Top tour and now he was paying him back.
Although he was accompanied to the police interview by his lawyer Mr Croke, who was once his partner in a Sydney nightclub, Mr McManus continued to make extraordinary admissions. He boasted to police that if they came round to his house "right now" they would find a safe with "600 large sittin' in it".
The Supreme Court ruled against Mr Carolan and Mr McManus and the cash remains in the custody of NSW authorities.
Police were last night expected to charge Mr McManus with attempting to pervert the course of justice over the unsuccessful case to retrieve the cash, and knowingly participating in a criminal group.
Both Mr Croke, 65, and Mr Haeusler, 55, were charged with both those offences earlier on Thursday.
A raid at 32-year-old Mr Atilgan's Kellyville home allegedly resulted in the seizure of cash, steroids and cannabis. He was charged with two counts of money laundering.
The three men arrested in Sydney were given police bail. Mr Carolan has not been arrested.
NSW police are also expected to apply for the extradition of Mr McManus from Melbourne and Mr Hanson Jnr. from the US.
In his 2012 interview with police, Mr Haeusler said he had been introduced to Mr Hanson by a Chinese gambling identity and that the pair had bet on the NFL in America.
Mr Croke, who also represented Mr Hanson and Mr Haeusler in Mr Haeusler's drug trial, offered that Mr Hanson was nicknamed "Dispose" by his Australian friends because of his propensity to dispose of prepaid mobile phones.
In his interview with NSW detectives, in July 2012, Mr Hanson said, "Do you want me to tell you the, the full story of how basically this money was laundered?"
He went on to say, "I have silent investors that are basically at their wits end over here. ... I deal with a lot of professional athletes ... and a lot of people are upset ... I haven't given them a return on their investment," he said of the $700,000.