Photoshop is a pretty wonderful thing, allowing you to draw phalluses on people’s heads and generally manipulate any image in any way you see fit. Sydney conman Dimitri de Angelis took this to a criminal new level, managing to scam millions of dollars through doctored BFF happy snaps with the likes of Bill Gates, Dennis Rodman, Clover Moore and even The Dalai Lama.
De Angelis sought investors for his Sydney-based music business, Emporium Music and successfully duped cashed up individuals including former Prime Minister Paul Keating’s sister and the former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney Marcelle Hoff to the tune of $8.5 million.
During negotiations with potential investors, de Angelis would seal the deal by holding meetings in his office which was conveniently decorated with photos of him with high powered friends. His shenanigans didn’t just just stop there, with a carefully crafted story behind each visual lie. De Angelis claimed to have led a team that killed Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar and to have formerly worked as a personal banker for Kerry Packer.
A whole bunch of famous Aussies have recently issued statements to Police, denying ever having met the conman, despite his seemingly real photos with them. Seriously, the list is unbelievable, and features former PMs John Howard and Paul Keating, former NSW premier Morris Iemma, Aussie Home Loans boss John Symond, and Channel 10 boss Lachlan Murdoch and entertainment figures Molly Meldrum and Guy Sebastian.
The 46 year old pleaded guilty to 16 fraud charges last week.
Words By Nikki Brogan
