Man Sentenced in $2.8 Million Sydney Jeweler Heist Insurance Fraud

Shanel Tofaeono, 39, has been sentenced to four years and seven months in prison for his involvement in a staged robbery of a luxury jewelry store in Sydney’s Hilton Hotel, part of a $2.8 million insurance fraud scheme. The fraudulent plot was allegedly orchestrated by jeweler Michel Germani, whose store was struggling financially. Tofaeono, along with co-conspirators, including Germani and another accused, Mounir Helou, pretended to rob the store in January 2022. As part of the staged heist, Tofaeono tied up a store employee who was terrified and made to believe the robbery was real. She was forced to unload jeweler into bags while shaking with fear.

The fake robbery, which lasted only 11 minutes, was intended to deceive both law enforcement and the insurance company into believing that the jewels had been stolen in an armed burglary. However, police quickly tracked the plotters down using CCTV footage from Sydney’s Central Business District. Tofaeono was considered essential to making the robbery convincing, although he was not involved in planning the scheme and did not profit significantly from the $2.8 million claim. Despite his guilty plea, Judge John Pickering expressed doubt about some of Tofaeono’s personal claims and ruled that his motivation stemmed from financial gain and connections with antisocial peers.

Tofaeono is the only one of six people charged who has pleaded guilty. The others, including Germani, his wife, and other associates, have all pleaded not guilty and are set to face trial in 2025. Tofaeono will be eligible for parole in September 2025, after serving a non-parole period of two years and five months. His full sentence will end in November 2027.