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Read Full BioAustralian sports betting syndicate Worldwide Sporting Investments (WSI) has been forced into liquidation, with owner Tyler Roberts owing investors over AU$2 million. The company’s failure comes months after other disgruntled investors, the Alameddine crime network, allegedly kidnapped Roberts.
Roberts launched WSI with funding from the Alameddine family in 2023. He allegedly met members of the criminal network in January that year and secured an investment of AU$3.1 million in the venture.
The syndicate placed bets online at Bet365, with Roberts claiming it “picks out bets that are incorrect on the books.” He also claims to have turned AU$2,000 into AU$45,000 through bets on the platform over seven days.
The syndicate appears to have struggled recently, however. The Daily Telegraph reported that it owes several creditors substantial sums.
Some of those identified include David Baldwin, who is owed almost AU$800,000; Ryan Mark Strauss, who is owed over AU$400,000; and Corey Van Genderan, who applied for the company to be liquidated due to his AU$56,000 debt.
Liquidators also reported contact from “several unsecured creditors” beyond those identified, who claimed outstanding debts of more than AU$871,000. Authorities are assessing whether the company has any other assets that could be used to pay its debts.
Roberts does not appear to be facing any criminal charges at this time. In the UK, another betting syndicate collapse led to the arrest of former UK spin doctor Alastair Campbell‘s son, Rory Campbell.
Crime Family Threatened to Cut Fingers Off
It is unclear if any of those owed money includes the Alameddine family. The gang, led by Rafat Alameddine, is allegedly one of the biggest drug-trafficking organisations in Sydney. New South Wales Police said the group earned around AU$1 million in weekly profit at its peak.
In April last year, seven men working for the Alameddine group allegedly kidnapped Roberts and his girlfriend, Mariah Dawn Burr-McLean.
The men demanded that Roberts repay AU$2.5 million that he owed the group. He claims that his former business partner, Lewis Jones, disappeared with the money.
Police allege two associates of the family, Anthony Khalil and Aaron “H” John McCann, threatened to cut off Roberts’ fingers if he did not pay up.
“They kept saying that I was lucky Mariah was here, otherwise this was going to go in a different way,” Roberts told police in his witness statement filed in court. “I believe that this was a threat that they intended to kill me.”
Couple Frantically Pleaded for Cash
The couple contacted about 20 family and friends to try to get cash, with Roberts asking his stepmother to put her house up as collateral, but came up empty-handed.
In one message sent to Roberts’ father, Tim, his girlfriend wrote, “Need to come up with $400k before they will let us leave … we have to stay here until Tyler comes up with the money, we are safe if we get it … Being respectful, the only reason Tyler isn’t going through torture is because I am here. I’m genuinely scared out of my mind.”
Burr-McLean does not allege she was kidnapped or extorted, but went willingly to support her boyfriend.
Matthew Hynes, a lawyer representing one of the accused, Joel Batour-Pullin, submitted to the Supreme Court that Roberts’ claims to police were “bizarre and implausible” and that he lied and later tried to recant his statement.
Kidnappers Ordered Gnocchi for Hostages
It also emerged that the gang ordered gnocchi for the couple. Messages revealed that Burr-McLean asked the kidnappers to order wild mushroom and truffle sauce gnocchi and Napoli sugo gnocchi from Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers in Maroochydore.
One text message sent by a kidnapper also urged them to order entrees. As reported by The Courier Mail, the message stated, “Your (SIC) a guest this is how I am. Please if you feel like anything else any entrees and whatever drinks”.
Hynes referenced this as proof that Roberts’ story does not add up. He stated, “They were so keen to get their money back from their $2.4m investment in the complainant’s company … that they came to Queensland and bought the complainant and his partner gnocchi.”
Minutes after the gnocchi texts, armed police stormed the apartment and arrested two of the men. The other five were later arrested at a separate address.
