Ryan O’Hara, aka Christian Nassar, jailed for $8.6m luxury car fraud, running over police officer
A serial fraudster has been jailed for five-and-a-half years after he ran over a police officer to avoid capture for stealing more than $8.6m in a swindle involving luxury cars, stolen identities and high stakes gambling.
Ryan O’Hara, also known as Christian Nassar, appeared in the NSW District Court on Friday to be sentenced after he pleaded guilty to 19 fraud charges related to his staggering scam.
The court heard he made approximately 90 applications for fraudulent financial loans totalling at least $8.6m than m between 2015 and 2019.
The money was used to buy an estimated 100 luxury cars, including makes such as Mercedes Benz, Audi, BMW and Lexus.
The expensive vehicles were then sold on under assumed identities, the court was told.
After netting approximately $9m from his extensive fraud, the court heard O’Hara gambled away more than $9.5m at the Star Casino in Sydney.
The 40-year-old will also learn his fate for using his car to run over a police officer who was attempting to apprehend him over the multimillion dollar fraud.
The court heard he was cornered by the cop car and rammed into it multiple times before forcefully driving into the officer.
The man suffered grievous bodily injuries and has undergone four surgeries to reconstruct his shoulder.
The court heard O’Hara had been on conditional liberty for escaping police and driving charges when he committed the violent vehicular assault and many of the fraud offences.
He has a long criminal history involving multiple crimes of dishonesty, taking cars without permission, and driving offences. He was previously jailed for fraud charges.
Judge Culver noted “the offender appears to have perfected his skill at deception” throughout his criminal record.
“The offender is recidivist in his conduct but I am not of the view that he is beyond hope for rehabilitation,” Judge Culver said.
The court heard O’Hara had spent most of his life in “profound isolation” following a traumatic and dislocated childhood.
He has been diagnosed with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety, and gambling disorder.
O’Hara has been in custody since his arrest in 2019 and appeared in court via audiovisual link on Friday in his prison greens.
He was expressionless as Judge Jane Culver sentenced him to a total of ten years behind bars with the possibility of parole after five and a half years.
With time served, the 40-year-old will be eligible for release from prison in October next year.
As he left his cell, he turned to give a thumbs up to his lawyer.
Originally published as Serial fraudster jailed for $8.6m luxury car scam using stolen IDs
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