An arrest warrant has been issued for a high-profile former AFL agent and Melbourne identity after he failed to appear on fraud charges.
Ricky Nixon, 60, was due to appear in the Melbourne District Court on Monday morning but by 3.15pm he had not appeared or contacted the court to explain his absence.
Nixon was charged with 10 offenses last November following a police investigation into the alleged sale of fraudulent commemorative items.
The alleged fraud involved ten footballs allegedly signed by members of the Melbourne Demons following their historic premiership victory. Herald Sun reported.
It is alleged that Mr Nixon sold the fake footballs for $575 plus $20 postage, with the proceeds promised to a children’s charity.
Ricky Nixon, 60, was due to appear in the Melbourne District Court on Monday morning but by 3.15pm he had not appeared or contacted the court to explain his absence.
However, suspicions arose when the signature of Charlie Spargo, who wears number nine, was written next to number eight.
In court, Magistrate James Henderson said Nixon had been served with a summons to appear on the “serious allegations.”
“Since I did not show up at 3:15 p.m., I intend to issue a warrant,” he said.
The police will now try to bring Mr Nixon to justice as soon as possible.
Nixon had previously told Sam Newman’s podcast that he was not to blame.
It is alleged that Mr Nixon sold the fake footballs for $575 plus $20 postage, with the proceeds promised to a children’s charity.
“To my surprise and complete shock, three of the balls were fake,” Nixon said on the podcast.
“I have since discovered second and third hand that someone claiming to work for an AFL license holder and who may be an ice addict has been forging those balls and I am the person to be blamed for it.
“I’m the one who’s been abandoned – not the other way around.”
A former player in the Victorian Football League and the Australian Football League, Nixon used his position in the sport to pursue a career as a sports agent.
Through his company Flying Start, he rose to become a powerful figure in the AFL before being banned in 2011.