A charity that awarded a woman a $100,000 car only to repossess it months later because she still had money is run by an alleged member of an outlaw biker gang.
Hairdresser Amelia Conway from the Victorian town of Colac received the Widebody Y62 Nissan Patrol from Hello Lifestyle Australia in July 2022.
Authorities then repossessed the vehicle on Feb. 21 because it was still under financing – despite the company claiming that the out-of-bounds expenses had been paid in full.
It has since emerged that Hello Lifestyle Australia was allegedly run by hairdresser Jason Eneli Roberts, 39, who has ‘strong ties to the Comancheros outlaw biker gang’.
Roberts’ role with the charity came to light after he was charged with firing seven shots at a $4.3 million six-bedroom mansion in Brisbane on March 1.
The shots were allegedly fired in revenge after $2 million was “stolen from a Hello Lifestyle safe” in an industrial estate in Meadowbrook.
Hairdresser Amelia Conway from the Victorian town of Colac received the Widebody Y62 Nissan Patrol as a gift from Hello Lifestyle Australia
Authorities then repossessed the vehicle on February 21 because it was still under financing
According to police filings filed with the Brisbane High Court, police allege that Roberts suggested to officers that Justin Chong Tan, the owner of the mansion, orchestrated “the robbery” against his company, The courier mail reported.
Mr. Tan is a co-owner of ‘pimp my ride’ style car customization company Vogue Industries, a neighboring company of Hello Lifestyle.
He has not been charged with any crime.
The ex-wife of Mr. Tan, I-Ling Chien, also known as Eiling Chien, 42, was at home with their three children when shots were fired at the mansion shortly after 11pm on March 1.
Ms Chien told police she believes her ex-husband’s business partner, Long Le Bao Huynh, “went into business with Hello Lifestyle and was in debt to them because they supplied the company with encumbered vehicles.”
She also told police she believes her home’s drive-by shooting may be related to her failing to comply with a demand from one of her ex-husband’s businesses to have one of the “high-value” leaving Mr. Tan’s cars on the street with the keys. inside ‘and don’t ask questions’.
“Hello Lifestyle has recently received media attention for winners of the vehicles who had to return the vehicle because they were goods encumbered with money debts on the vehicles,” the police statement of the alleged facts said.
The most high-profile of those cases involved Ms Conway, who lost her dream car in February.
Ms. Conway was scrolling through Facebook when she came across a raffle for a modified Widebody Y62 Nissan Patrol worth $100,000.
On March 1, seven shots were fired at this Robertson home on the outskirts of Brisbane
Jason Eneli Roberts was charged with the shooting. A court heard he claimed a co-owner of Vogue Industries (pictured) robbed him
Joshua John Lucey (pictured in 2021) is one of six men charged in connection with a late-night drive-by shooting in Brisbane’s suburbs on March 1
Hello Lifestyle Australia, promised the winner the fully equipped four wheel drive with all expenses paid.
Ms Conway said she bought $120 worth of tickets to enter the draw, with the company pledging to donate all proceeds to the Red Frogs youth organization.
Then, several months later, Amelia was thrilled to be announced as the winner in an online live stream.
“It was really unbelievable, it was just crazy. Everyone went crazy,” she told the ABC.
Hello Lifestyle Australia even flew Amelia and her sister to Queensland from Victoria so they could pick up their new car.
But when she returned home, Amelia had to spend around $1,000 to get the car roadworthy, despite Hello Lifestyle Australia’s promise that all on-road costs would be covered.
One of Amelia’s friends suggested she do a Personal Property Securities Register check, as the win seemed too good to be true.
A $2 search of the Personal Property Securities Register allows consumers to check if any money is still owed on their assets.
When Amelia finished the check, she discovered that the vehicle was still owed money.
“I thought maybe they paid it off, and it took a while to figure it out, but they didn’t,” she said.
Amelia attempted to text Hello Lifestyles Australia to verify that the patrol was in her name and that all travel expenses had been paid, but received no response from the company.
Then the worst happened, with a man showing up on her property to repossess the vehicle.
“He said, ‘I’m here to pick up the patrol for Nissan’s funding, because it hasn’t been paid for.’ I was pretty upset, I just froze,’ she said.
Hi Lifestyle Australia (above) has since closed with the charity Red Frogs, claiming they received very little from the company, despite a promise that all proceeds from the raffle would go there
Perth’s father, Aaron Edmundson, won another Nissan Patrol (ad above), but said he had to pay $7,500 in road costs, roadworthiness, permits and stamp duty
Red Frog Australia said Hello Lifestyle Australia promised to raise approximately $150,000 for the charity but “didn’t come close”.
“They did pay us a small amount for that (first) lottery, but that was all we ever got from them. They then did raffles and we never got anything,” Steve Davies, Red Frogs chief operating officer, told ABC.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said anyone buying a ticket should check the lottery’s permit number before entering.
Several other lottery ticket buyers left reviews online claiming the company would not allow them to cancel their membership, while others simply described Hello Lifestyle Australia as ‘untrustworthy’.
Perth dad Aaron Edmundson claims he spent $7,500 on a Nissan Patrol he won from Hello Lifestyle Australia, which is estimated to be worth $120,000.
The company initially said it would cover the $7,500 in road costs, roadworthiness, licenses and stamp duty, but after months of emails, Mr. Edmundson gave up and sold the car.
Roberts, the alleged owner of Hello Lifestyle Australia, remains behind bars.
His co-defendant Joshua John Lucey, 36, will appear in court again on May 8 after being released on bail earlier this month on $100,000 bail.
Lucey must wear a GPS tracker as part of his strict bail conditions.
Police claim Lucey, 36, is “a confirmed Bandido member of the Logan City chapter likely trying to transfer to the Comancheros.
“Current associations suggest he has either recovered or is a close associate of the Comacheros,” court documents read.
“Recent information suggests that Lucey … has performed duties for the outlaw biker gang, including enforcement duties and acts of violence,” the appeal to the bail statement states.
The four other men charged in the March 1 incident were all believed to be connected to Bandidos, according to court documents.