Mr Bradley Grimm, former Melbourne financial planner, has been charged with 13 dishonesty offences while running a financial services business. Mr Grimm appeared via counsel in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today.
ASIC alleges between 18 February 2015 and 11 March 2015, Mr Grimm engaged in dishonest conduct on six occasions when he transferred funds between his clients’ self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) to three separate companies of which Mr Grimm was the sole director:
- Thrive Lending Pty Ltd
- Trade BTC Pty Ltd; and
- Beta Pharmacology Pty Ltd;
and to a superannuation fund of which Mr Grimm’s financial services business was the administrator.
ASIC also alleges that on a further seven occasions between 19 October 2015 and 11 November 2015, Mr Grimm dishonestly transferred shares owned by his clients’ SMSFs to Equity Capital Partners Hedge Fund Pty Ltd, a company of which he was sole director.
The charges follow ASIC’s successful action in the Federal Court for the winding up of Ostrava Equities Pty Ltd, Ostrava Asset Management Pty Ltd, Ostrava Securities Pty Ltd, Ostrava Wealth Management Pty Ltd, Beta Pharmacology Pty Ltd, Prometheus Capital Pty Ltd, Thrive Lending Pty Ltd, Trade BTC Pty Ltd and Equity Capital Partners Hedge Fund Pty Ltd (the Companies) (15-308MR)
The matter was adjourned for committal mention on 31 January 2019 at the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is prosecuting the matter.
Background
Mr Grimm and his company Ostrava Equities Pty Ltd were until 21 October 2015 authorised representatives of Australian financial Services licensee Marigold Falconer International Limited (previously known as Falconer & Company Limited), whose AFSL was cancelled in August 2016 (16-259MR)
Editor's note:
The matter was adjourned on 31 January 2019. The next court hearing is 20 February 2019.
Editor's note 2:
The matter was adjourned on 20 February 2019 until 29-30 August 2019 for a committal hearing.
Editor's note 3:
On 30 August 2019, Mr Grimm appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates court and was committed to stand trial in the County Court on 13 charges laid by ASIC. Following committal Mr Grimm entered a plea of not guilty to all charges and was remanded for arraignment in the County Court on 2 September 2019. A trial date of 5 October 2020, has been set.
Editor's note 4:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial date has been vacated and will be relisted in due course. The matter is next set down for mention on 4 November 2020.
Editor's note 5:
On 4 November 2020, the matter was adjourned to a further mention on 22 March 2021.
Editor's note 6:
On 22 March 2021, the matter was adjourned to 15 April 2021 for mention.
Editor's note 7:
On 15 April 2021 the matter was adjourned to 21 May 2021 for a directions hearing.
Editor's note 8:
The matter has been adjourned to 24 June 2021 for mention.
Editor's note 9:
On 24 June 2021, the matter was adjourned to 9am on 16 July 2021 for a directions hearing.
Editor's note 10:
On 16 July 2021, the matter was adjourned to 9am on 10 September 2021 for a directions hearing.
Editor's note 11:
The matter was listed for mention on 4 August 2021, at which time it was adjourned to a final directions hearing at 9am on 11 October 2021.
Editor's note 12:
On 11 October 2021, the matter was adjourned to 8 November 2021 for a directions hearing.
Editor's note 13:
This matter has been set down for a three week trial commencing 15 March 2022. A further directions hearing will be held on 30 November 2021.
Editor's note 14:
On 30 November 2021 the trial date was amended to commence on 16 March 2022. A further directions hearing will be held on 19 January 2022.
Editor's note 15:
On 19 January 2022 the matter was listed for a further mention on 7 February 2022 at 9:00am before Judge Marich.
Editor's note 16:
On 7 February 2022, the matter was before Judge Marich for mention. The trial date of 16 March 2022 was confirmed.
Editor's note 17:
The matter listed is listed for application at 10:30am on Monday 7 March 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 18:
On 7 March 2022, a directions hearing was held before Judge O’Connell. The trial date was adjourned until 26 September 2022.
Editor's note 19:
On 26 July 2022 the matter was listed for mention at 9:30am on 29 July 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 20:
On 29 July 2022 the matter was listed for mention at 9:30am on 9 August 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 21:
On 9 August 2022 the matter was listed for a directions hearing at 9:30am on 12 August 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 22:
On 12 August 2022 the matter was listed for a directions hearing at 9:30am on 9 September 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 23:
The matter is listed for application at 9:30am on 15 September 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
On 9 September 2022, the matter was listed for a directions hearing at 9:30am on 20 September 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 24:
The matter is listed for application at 9:30am on 19 September 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
On 15 September 2022, the matter was part heard and adjourned to 9:30am on 19 September 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 25:
On 19 September 2022, the trial date of 26 September 2022 was adjourned until 18 January 2023.
A final directions hearing is set down at 9:30am on 12 December 2022.
Editor's note 26:
The matter is listed for mention at 10:30am on 4 November 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 27:
The matter is listed for mention at 1:00pm on 9 November 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 28:
The matter is listed for a directions hearing on 23 November 2022 in the County Court of Victoria.
Editor's note 29:
On 20 January 2023, Mr Bradley Grimm pleaded guilty to three charges of dishonesty in the County Court of Victoria. The matter was adjourned to 14 April 2023 for sentencing submissions (refer: 23-010MR).