Shane Tamihana’s interest in the property at 3 Whitby Place, Flaxmere, has been forfeited to the Crown.
A jailed poker champ once regarded as Hawke’s Bay’s biggest methamphetamine dealer has had a house and more than $90,000 confiscated by the Crown.
Shane Tamihana, who also goes by the name Shane Thompson, was well known on the poker circuit before being jailed for 13 years in 2018 after pleading guilty to having the lead role in a $2.5 million methamphetamine ring.
When Tamihana was sentenced in June 2018 Judge Geoff Rea said he was “the most comprehensive methamphetamine dealer Hawke’s Bay has ever seen and [the offending] puts you up there on a national scale over the last 10 years as well”.
Following his sentencing the Commissioner of Police applied for an asset forfeiture order under the Criminal Proceeds Act.
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The Commissioner sought to claim $41,536 cash found at Thompson’s house, $33,856 in his bank account, $15,000 Thompson had paid another party, and a 2006 Toyota Hilux.
The Commissioner also sought Tamihana’s interests in a property he controlled at 3 Whitby Place, Flaxmere, which has a council valuation of $280,000.
Tamihana initially expressed opposition to the Commissioner’s application but later said he would abide by a court’s decision.
The Commissioner’s application for the property was opposed by Michael Allison, who claimed to be the owner.
Allison claimed Tamihana had never owned the property and that Tamihana had never provided any funds for the purchase of the property.
Justice David Gendall issued a judgment on Allison’s application this month.
He said Allison’s explanation as to how he came up with a $40,000 deposit for the Flaxmere property “evolved somewhat” over time.
The judge noted that Allison initially said the $40,000 had been derived from gambling. This later changed to his winning $20,000 at baccarat at SkyCity (despite SkyCity having no record of this), and the other $20,000 won in poker games with “high roller” Chinese players outside the casino.
Gendall said Allison’s explanation appeared to change every time police produced more evidence.
“The SkyCity records show, too, him making an overall loss at his times at the casino relevant to present times of around $4000. All these matters must, as I see it, raise some question as to the credibility of his evidence relating to the source of the deposit for Whitby Place,” Gendall said.
He said Allison’s father, with whom Allison lives, “unequivocally stated to the police that his son does not own any property at all and he has never heard of the Whitby Place property”.
Gendall said it was more than likely that the property had been purchased in Allison’s name on behalf of Tamihana and was “tainted property”.
The property was vested in the Crown.
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