Mossy Hines, in a police photograph launched in 2006, has forfeited almost $90,000. Photo / NZ Police
William “Bird” Hines’ Head Hunter son should forfeit practically $90,000 of “tainted” money he earned from his legal actions – together with $20,000 police present in his underpants.
Mossy Hines is a patched member of the gang who has spent a lot of the previous 10 years in jail. He has a spread of legal convictions together with possessing methamphetamine for provide.
He can also be the son of William “Bird” Hines, the senior Head Hunters member who died final month and was farewelled with a big gang tangi close to Foxton.
In March 2021, police searched Mossy Hines’ home in Pakuranga, Auckland and located $63,610 in money. Hines had tried to cover $20,000 of that in his underpants.
They additionally discovered a firearm, ammunition and small quantities of managed medication, a High Court choice launched on Friday detailed.
In June 2022, police arrested Hines on the SkyCity on line casino in Auckland and located he was carrying $10,370 in money in a satchel.
Earlier, that they had searched his new home in Howick when he was not there, discovering ammunition and what seemed to be a hashish plant.
In September 2022, police stopped Hines after he received out of his automotive in Highland Park, Auckland.
In his Gucci bum bag, they found 43g of methamphetamine, some cannabis plant and $15,296 in cash.
The cash from all three searches – a total of $89,276 – was seized by police, who then applied to the High Court to have it forfeited to the Crown under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.
The act aims to deter people from engaging in criminal activity by confiscating their ill-gotten gains. Money and assets are seized by police, and can be forfeited to the Crown by a High Court order.
In Hines’ case, Justice David Johnstone stated the money had been held for greater than a 12 months whereas varied legal prices progressed by way of the courts.
Hines now consented to the forfeiture and “no other person appears to be interested in the cash”, Justice Johnstone stated in his choice.
In figuring out that the money was “tainted property” obtained by legal means, the decide famous Hines’ gang membership and legal historical past.
He stated between September 2014 and June 2022, the one earnings Hines declared to Inland Revenue was $6850 in profit funds.
The decide famous, nevertheless, that Hines had spent all however about two years of that point in jail.
A bank account he operated between April 2019 and June 2020 – the only one in his name in the past decade – showed deposits of less than $10,000 from the Ministry of Social Development, $15,000 in cash deposits and around $40,500 in unexplained third-party deposits.
These did not seem to come from salary, wages, or rental income.
The only explanation Hines had given for the cash police seized was that he got the $15,296 in his bum bag in September 2022 from selling a car the previous evening.
“Overall, I am satisfied that the cash is tainted property,” Justice Johnstone said.
“The apparent lack of legitimate sources of income, and the regular finding of cash sums in proximity to amounts of controlled drugs, demonstrates that it is likely the cash was acquired or derived from selling controlled drugs, and if not then in any event from the evasion of tax.”
Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice group in 2022 and relies in Hawke’s Bay. His writing within the crime and justice sphere is knowledgeable by 4 years of front-line expertise as a probation officer.
