Guilty plea in Sydney underworld Investigation reveals sinister Greek Australian connection

News / Australia

Maria Lambroglou admits to dealing with illicit funds as NSW police unravel murder probe

Vincent Lambroglou Arrested Photo: NSW Police

19 July 2023 1:29pm

Maria Lambroglou pleaded guilty

According to a report by The Daily Telegraph, a woman who was arrested by detectives investigating the murder of Sydney underworld figure Rami Iskander has confessed in court to engaging in illicit financial activities. The arrest of Maria Lambroglou and her husband Vincent Lambroglou took place last October when authorities executed a search warrant at their Kyle Bay residence as part of an ongoing investigation into various gangland murders in Sydney.

Law enforcement officials allege that Vincent was involved in organizing and preparing the getaway vehicles used by the gunmen responsible for Iskander’s fatal shooting at his Belmore home on the morning of May 14, 2022. The charges brought against Vincent include accessory after the fact to murder, accessory before the fact to murder, participating in a criminal group, and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, as reported by The Daily Telegraph. He was denied bail and is currently in custody.

Vincent’s case is still pending, and he has not yet entered pleas for the charges. In contrast, Maria, his wife, faced charges related to dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group. She was granted strict conditional bail at the time of her arrest. Recently, during a court appearance at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, Maria pleaded guilty to two counts of dealing with proceeds of crime after her legal representatives from Zahr Partners successfully negotiated the dismissal of the criminal group charge against her.

However, Maria is not accused of any involvement in Iskander’s death. Documents tendered to the court reveal police bugged the couple’s home in Kyle Bay and a business premises in Oatley in August last year to monitor Vincent’s activities.

Vincent was on recorded using a currency-counting machine

According to court proceedings, evidence was presented that Vincent was purportedly captured on recordings using a currency-counting machine to organize and bundle substantial sums of cash during various instances while Maria was present at the Oatley location.

In relation to the investigation into the murder of gangland figure Rami Iskander, the Lambroglou siblings—Vincent and Lee—and Vincent’s wife Maria, were apprehended and formally accused. As of now, Vincent has not yet entered a plea for the charges against him. Conversely, Maria has already admitted guilt to lesser charges, while the charges against Lee have been completely dismissed. On an exchange on September 2, Maria allegedly said, “you’re not even sorting out properly and whatever you do, the little bits you get, you’re doing for this.”

Vincent allegedly responded, “I am not getting little bits … because there has been like leftovers when I do counting.”

Police allege Maria Lambroglou was seen handling cash that had been passed to her from Vincent, and at one stage encouraging him to recount the money to make sure the amount was right.

Court documents said Maria was recorded dealing with $50,000 in cash between September 9 and September 11.

The court heard officers who raided the Kyle Bay premises discovered about $70,000 hidden in Maria’s bedroom, with $64,800 in the drawer of a wardrobe.

Maria denied any knowledge of the cash, when interviewed by police and said, “I don’t want to say, I don’t know what’s going on”.

Maria remains on bail and will face sentencing on September 7.

Prosecutors withdraw case against Lambroglou brother

Lee Lambroglou, charged over his alleged involvement in the murder of Rami Iskander has had all charges against him dropped – six months after a court heard the case against him was seriously weak.

Lee was charged in November last year with being an accessory after the fact to murder and concealing a serious indictable offence of another after police allege he helped his brother Vincent hide a vehicle allegedly used as a getaway car in gangland killing.

Court documents revealed that the police alleged just minutes after the fatal shooting, two unknown killers dumped a blue Hyundai i30 at a unit block in Allawah where the brothers’ mother lived, then fled the scene.

It is alleged Vincent arrived at the location a short time later and had Lee bring down the keys to the garage so the vehicle could be stored away from public view.

Justice Stephen Campbell at the time cast grave doubt over whether the Crown could prove Lee knew of Iskander’s death at the time he handed the garage keys to his brother.

“It cannot be said that on the material available to me this is a strong Crown case [against Lee],” he said.

After a period of six months, prosecutors discreetly dismissed all charges against Lee Lambroglou with minimal discussion during a hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court. No specific explanation was provided for the withdrawal of the charges.