'Runaway millionaire' Leo Gao released from prison
By Matthew Theunissen 11:59 AM Tuesday Dec 24, 2013
"The runaway millionaire" Leo Gao has been released from prison after serving 16 months of a four year and seven month sentence, the Parole Board has confirmed.
Gao, 33, stole $6.7 million after discovering $10m in his bank account due to a major bank error.
Instead of returning the money, Gao embarked on an overseas spending spree, splashing out at glitzy hotels and casinos.
Gao's then-partner, Kara Hurring, joined him in Macau.
Eventually, the pair were caught, and Gao - who had spent two and a half years on the run - was sentenced to four years and seven months imprisonment in August last year.
The Parole Board confirmed he was released from prison on parole yesterday.
Gao had spent time in a Hong Kong jail, in Auckland prison and on electronically-monitored bail prior to the commencement of his sentence.
The Parole Board's decision, released earlier this month, said despite the sizeable nature of his fraud, it was satisfied his risk of offending could be managed by imposing strict release conditions.
These included restrictions on interactions with Ms Hurring and access to bank accounts.
While in prison, Gao was considered a low-risk offender, the decision said.
Gao had also admitted his actions had caused great shame, had broken the law and contradicted his family's values.
The Parole Board found he did not pose an undue risk to the community, and refusing him parole once his eligibility date was reached would therefore be wrong.
Ms Hurring, who has a son with Gao, was sentenced to nine months' home detention over her role in the theft.
Almost $3.8m is still missing from the $10m transferred into Gao's bank account in April 2009.
What would you do?
I return wallets because I care about the average Joe who lost it. Return excess change because I care about the checkout girl.
Do I care about banks?
The next trick of our glorious banks will be to charge us a fee for using net bank!!! You are no longer customer, you are property!!!
Unfortunately you'd have to go to Brazil or something. I guess that could be ok.
One would have to like big butts. Must be that black gene.
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
you make it hard to resist sometimes moops but I have made a firm rule of no cans in the main forum
I wonder if Leo paid off the Parole Board?
Bogans are always wanking on about Australia being the best country in the world.
So how come we mostly get desperate Chinese and Indian immigrants, Poms sick of their dank island, and Nz'ers who can't get a job in NZ?
That's it. I'm going to Brazil.
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
So how come we mostly get desperate Chinese and Indian immigrants, Poms sick of their dank island, and Nz'ers who can't get a job in NZ?
That's it. I'm going to Brazil.
I remember almost all Aussie Indians being professionals many years ago. A couple of decades later our street turned into rooming house hell with cars and mattresses littering every second front yard. Something's changed that's for sure.
APF - a place where serious people don't take themselves too seriously. There's nothing else like it.
To do that they have to sue him, when he comes into a few million.
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Unfortunately you'd have to go to Brazil or something. I guess that could be ok.
To Argentina where men bringing bags of cash are appreciated. Nice little Patagonian ranch would be good, with all female staff between the ages of 20 and 30.
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Bogans are always wanking on about Australia being the best country in the world.
Bogans are always wanking on about Australia being the best country in the world.
So how come we mostly get desperate Chinese and Indian immigrants, Poms sick of their dank island, and Nz'ers who can't get a job in NZ?
That's it. I'm going to Brazil.
The one in blue standing side on towards the right side actually looks quite similiar to my GF.. Not the same I will add, but similiar.. And no I won't post a pic as she would not appreciate that too much...
Her father is Italian and her mother Australian so she has an olive complexion that makes her look sun tanned all the time..
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What would you do?
I return wallets because I care about the average Joe who lost it. Return excess change because I care about the checkout girl.
There are some people who seem angry and continuously look for conflict. Walk away, the battle they are fighting isn't with you, it's with themselves.
The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is not enough of anything to satisfy all who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics. ~ Thomas Sowell.
Who was the fool, who the wise man, who the beggar or the Emperor? Whether rich or poor, all are equal in death.
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