Former Australian and British soldiers on charges in US after allegedly impersonating law enforcement officers

Two former soldiers based in Australia allegedly pretended to be law enforcement officials and threatened a Los Angeles businessman with violence and deportation unless he handed over almost US$37m, according to US court documents.

Matthew Phillip Hart, 41, a former member of the Australian military, and Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, 39, a former member of the British military and UK citizen who lives in Australia, were charged along with two other men on 1 August, the US attorney’s office said in a statement.

The four men were allegedly acting on behalf of a wealthy Chinese national who financed the bogus raid in order to settle a dispute with her former business partner, the office said.

They have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy against rights, and one count of deprivation of rights “under color of law”. The quartet were expected to face court in Los Angeles on Monday (local time).

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/two-australian-based-ex-soldiers-053730299.html?guccounter=1