- Sydney property developer, 50, charged
- Member of the public handed in ID badge
- It sparked a month-long investigation
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A high-flying property developer has been charged with impersonating a federal police officer after fake badges and replica guns were found inside his Sydney home.
Jaime Charles Farrelly has been charged with one count of impersonating a federal public official, possession of prohibited firearms, and supplying a prohibited drug.
It came after a member of the public handed in a fake police identification card to Bondi Police Station in Sydney's eastern suburbs on September 23.
A small amount of cocaine was allegedly found behind the ID card.
Further investigations led police to an apartment in Double Bay, where officers conducted a search warrant on Friday.
Police said a stash of allegedly fraudulent badges carried by NSW, Victorian and AFP officers were found inside as well as cards for the Secret Service, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.
Fake t-shirts, hats, four replica firearms, 11 high-quality gel blasters, an LED flashlight and three model grenades, 14g of cocaine and steroids were also allegedly found.
Jaime Charles Farrelly, 50, has been charged with one count of impersonating a federal public official, possession of prohibited firearms, and supplying a prohibited drug
Police said a stash of allegedly fraudulent badges carried by NSW, Victorian and AFP officers were found inside as well as cards for the Secret Service, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States (pictured)
Fake t-shirts, hats, four replica firearms, 11 high-quality gel blasters, an LED flashlight and three model grenades, 14g of cocaine and steroids were also allegedly found
Farrelly, 50, was refused bail and will appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.
He faces up to two years behind bars for the impersonation charge.
It comes after the property developer was banned from managing companies for two years for his role in the failure of three Canberra-based firms; Be Athletic Canberra, ACN 601 334 749 (formerly TPG) and 3 Property Group 13.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) found the companies owed $9million, with $3million owed to the Australian Tax Office.
It said Farrelly had allowed TPG to lend $7,437,710 to related entities without documenting the terms of the loans, and resigned as a director of TPG before ensuring the loans were repaid.
ASIC also found the developer had failed to adequately monitor 3PG13's financial affairs, traded while insolvent and deferred paying tax to ensure cash flow.
That ban ended on Thursday.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said impersonating officers and the potential misuse of police identification and insignia would not be tolerated.
