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.
