Edhat StaffBy edhat staff
A Santa Barbara realtor and Australian native is currently in a Melbourne prison for allegedly evading taxes on luxury home sales.
Simone Halstead, also known as Simone Semmens, was convicted of evading $1.85 million in generation-skipping tax (GST) on the sale of several luxury homes in Australia. On June 21, a jury found the 58-year-old guilty on ten charges of “dishonestly causing loss to the Commonwealth,” reports the Australian-based news publication, The Age.
She was sent to a maximum security women’s prison to await sentencing after a plea hearing scheduled for July 30.
Halstead was found guilty after a three-week trial where she was accused of evading GST on the transfer of 10 Australian properties between 2001 and 2007, even though she allegedly told her accountant and bank manager she was aware of the tax obligations. Halstead’s defense attorney’s argued she was unaware of the tax but a jury found her guilty of ten “dishonesty offences that each carry a maximum five-year prison sentence,” reports The Age.
This isn’t the first investigation into Halstead who is described as a former Australian beauty queen, telecommunications spokesperson, and news anchor who switched to property development ultimately becoming a socialite in an upscale area of Melbourne. An Australian Taxation Office audit in 2011 discovered debts, lawsuits, and more suspected criminal conduct. In 2013 one of her properties was raided and in 2015 she was arrested while attempting to board a flight to the United States.
Halstead has allegedly been working in the U.S. since 2014, specifically as a realtor for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Montecito. The real estate website lists Halstead’s California license and contact information boasting her trustworthiness.
“With years of experience on both the selling and buying sides of many, multi-million dollar transactions she works with dedication and integrity to ensure her real estate practices revolve around her client’s goals,” the website reads. Halstead is quoted as saying “This is a referral business based upon on-going relationships, Simone continues. It’s about earning trust, repeat business and testimonials in an industry, and a part of the world, that I’m truly passionate about.”
An official statement has not been released by Coldwell Bankers, but The Age reports several coworker were not aware Halstead was in Australia facing criminal charges.
I hate to see SB in the news again being cast in a neg light…
I’m moving back to my country.
Are you really surprised? With few exceptions, most realtors don’t add any value, they are just leaches to sale/buy transaction.
wow- maybe a rung below attorneys…hard to imagine a bar that low!
Cry us a river again now that the “reputable,” long time realtor to the wealthy got caught. Give us a break here 1%ers.
It’s not smarts, it’s information, due diligence, integrity and hubris: Did she know Australian law and break it, or not conform b/c she didn’t run it by someone familiar with laws she should have known she wasn’t expert about? Beautiful people have many opportunities to get by on appearance and charm. That gives them power. Power can be used wrongly especially if coupled with feelings of entitlement.
“There’s a sucker born every minute”.
J.T. Barnum
P.T. Barnum also said that.
Super-attractive people, like this woman, are often given a pass when they do wrong. That’s just the way it is folks.
YETI, perfect comment. Doesn’t matter where in the world you are doing business, I believe everyone has to pay taxes. Claiming ignorance doesn’t work.
at 9:06 – she is not “super-attractive,” unless you find plastic surgery and make up to be attractive. To each his/her own, I guess. But, the more accurate statement is super RICH people get a pass… Why? Because you can look halfway decent and then be made “beautiful” with thousands of $$$ worth of surgery and styling. It’s all fake. But if you’re rich enough, even the most blah looking person can become an aging super model. Yuck.
Too bad the U.S. doesn’t do the same to white collar tax evaders- They just hire $1000 an hour tax loophole specialists to bulk and dodge paying their fair share of taxes… What a system.
The culture of wealth is that the rules do not apply to the rich. Look at the college admissions scandals, look at Madoff’s crowd, look at the Trump history. These people honestly believe, as was said decades ago by Leona Helmsley. “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes.” And, unfortunately this is increasingly true, especially with the help of corporate Democrats and Trump GOP.
Rules don’t apply to vagrants either. Your basic argument fails, RHS.
RHS: I think you definitely should be in line for some sort of reparations, because you got owned by Factotum.
AMEN! White collar crime and animal cruelty, two things that need WAY STIFFER PENALTIES and punishments!
Facto, your depictions of vagrancy make it sound very appealing. No rules, free stuff- it’s a wonder that we all haven’t quit our jobs and stopped paying our mortgages and moved to State Street. I can’t see any downside, can you?