After a six month manhunt, Australian police arrested serial conman Peter Foster and took him barefoot.
Foster, 58, was today captured in Gisborne, Victoria state, by an elite team of ‘fugitive hunters’ over a £900,000 cryptocurrency scam.
Foster became infamy after he caused ‘Cherie-gate’ in 2002. It was revealed that Foster had assisted Tony Blair’s then-Prime Minister to buy two homes at discounted prices.
Cherie at first denied Foster was involved, a well-known fraudster who has served time in jail in the UK. But after Daily Mail revealed emails between them she was forced into an apology.
Foster is facing allegations in the latest case he conned £900,000 in Bitcoin out of a retired pilot in Hong Kong as part of a sport betting scam.
Images of today’s dramatic raid show him quivering on the floor in track pants and a cheap white t-shirt as officers descend on the rural premises in the Macedon Ranges.
Peter Foster, a serial conman and embroiled within the ‘Cheriegate’ scandal has been captured. After six months of manhunting by Australian police, Foster was dragged off barefoot.
Pictures of today’s dramatic raid shows him writhing on the floors in track pants and an inexpensive white shirt as officers descend on rural Macedon Ranges properties.
Conman Peter Foster rose to infamy in 2002 when he sparked ‘Cherie-gate’ after it emerged he helped then-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife (pictured together) buy two discounted houses
According to the Australian Federal Police, Foster (59) was detained near Gisborne in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. This arrest came after six months of searching.
Foster, who claimed to be Bill Dawson, promised investors Konstantinos Stylianopoulosas pilot Konstantinos “Dino” Stylianopoulosas that he would guarantee them returns on their investment by making a mathematician determine the results of matches.
Prosecutors say Stylianopoulosas transferred Foster £900,000 in cryptocurrency over the course of nine months between 2019 and 2020, in amounts ranging from £67,500 to £477,000.
However, investors claim that their money evaporated after investing in Sports Predictions. Prosecutors also allege that there were no wagers placed on the company and instead, the money was diverted to Foster.
After Stylianopoulosas reached out to IFW Global investigators, the officers were alerted and Foster was tracked down.
He was finally tracked down to Far North Queensland, where he was arrested and held in dramatic circumstances last August.
IFW Global captured footage of Foster’s arrest. It showed two officers in jogger costumes running toward Foster before they tackled him to the ground.
Peter Foster is a notorious conman and was taken into custody six months ago after he skipped court to face fraud-related charges.
As New South Wales was the location of the cryptocurrency exchange that processed the transactions, the case went to them.
Things began to unravel after Foster’s lawyers informed a court in March that the case had’real issues with jurisdiction.
Foster was freed on bail after the March hearing, but placed under effective home arrest and equipped with an electronic Tag.
The second hearing The event took place on 20 May. Justin Lewis, Foster’s lawyer, told judges that they had previously met at his Sydney office at 11.30am and then went to courthouse.
Foster told Mr Lewis that Foster promised him he’d show up. But Foster wasn’t there by 2pm and couldn’t be reached because of his bail conditions.
Today Foster was spotted by Australian Federal Police officers. They broke down Foster’s door near Gisborne, Victoria in the Macedon Ranges. Foster was barefoot with track pants on and a white T-shirt.
Foster was placed under arrest by the Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, which is heavily armed. He was then dragged off.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan stated that the arrest was made to warn those most wanted and dangerous fugitives who may be hiding in Australia.
He stated that AFP’s top-ranked technical and forensic capabilities are again proving to criminals that there’s no place to hide.
“There is no safe harbor for criminals here in Australia. Together with partner agencies, the AFP is relentless in ensuring that those wanted for criminal acts are brought to justice.
“The FAST arrest continues to show the strong relationships between the AFP and state and territory police when it comes to fighting transnational, serious, and organized crime.”
Foster outside court on April 22. Foster outside court on April 22.
Peter Foster leaves the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney, April 2012.
Foster was not alone in his latest disappearance. While in legal trouble, he vanished.
In the 1980s, while marketing tea that claimed to be an ancient Chinese weight-loss secret, he moved from Australia to the UK, then the US, setting up several companies to sell the tea.
Foster actually made ordinary black tea. Each time Foster was investigated, Foster set up a new company. Foster was ultimately jailed in America for the fraud.
He was released from prison for promoting ‘thigh reduce cream’ in Britain.
After being arrested in Australia on a British warrant, he fled again and was re-arrested. He spent time in prison in each country.
Foster, outside of a Gold Coast Court in 2012. He was arrested for the first time at the age of 20 for a fake £40,000 insurance claim over a cancelled boxing match
After some time spent in Fiji, 2001, he came back to Britain and began to date Carole Caplin. Carole Caplin was Cherie Blair’s style guru at that point.
Carole introduced Foster to Cherie. She helped her wife, the Prime Minister, purchase two properties in Bristol for a discounted rate.
Cherie first denied Foster’s involvement in the scandal, but the Daily Mail published emails between Foster and Cherie.
Cherie called Foster star in them and stated to Foster that they were on the same wavelength.
Cherie made a public, tearful apology for the revelation. She denied ever knowing Foster was a criminal and said she had simply tried to be a mother and wife, while trying to become the Prime Ministerial Consort in America.
She said that “Some balls are dropped” because there isn’t enough time in the day.