There has been a strange twist in the shocking disappearance of Olivia Molly Roger’s ex-husband Justin McKeone after he allegedly stole $481,490 from his employer.
The 37-year-old Melbourne financial executive disappeared in November, just before his appearance in the Supreme Court of Victoria on December 5.
Court documents later revealed that he now resides in Scarborough, northeast of Perth, and is now expecting a baby with his Bachelor star girlfriend, Tahnee Leeson.
McKeone and Leeson announced the shocking news on Instagram on Wednesday, just days after the court revealed his whereabouts in Scarborough.
The couple appeared to be glowing with happiness in the images, despite recent allegations that McKeone stole nearly $500,000 from her last employer.
In the images, Leeson flaunted her growing baby bump in a completely sheer white two-piece skirt as she posed for a beach photoshoot with McKeone.
There has been a strange twist in the shocking disappearance of Olivia Molly Roger’s ex-husband, 32, (right), Justin McKeone, 37, (left), after he allegedly stole $481,490 from his employer.
McKeone, meanwhile, opted for a more covered-up look, donning a white button-down shirt and blue jeans while taking the beloved pregnancy photos with Leeson.
‘Starting the new year with the most exciting news to date. I can’t believe how much we love you already. “I’m so grateful you chose us,” Leeson captioned the post.
McKeone commented below from her new private Instagram account, writing: ‘You’re going to be an amazing mom! I can’t wait.’
The pregnancy comes at a shocking time, with McKeone recently missing amid allegations she stole thousands of dollars while working as a financial manager at a Melbourne company.
He disappeared in November, raising concerns for his safety at the time.
According to court documents, he is alleged to have stolen $481,490.33 from his employer during his five months as head of finance at Rocket Brands (Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd).
McKeone was due to appear in the Supreme Court of Victoria on December 5 to respond to a civil application for an order freezing his assets, but he failed to appear.
The court heard McKeone had not contacted his lawyers since November 11, when he was contacted by lawyers representing his former employer.
The financial executive disappeared in November, just before his appearance in the Victorian Supreme Court on December 5, but has now reappeared with a pregnant girlfriend (left).
McKeone has not publicly responded to the allegations, with a new Instagram account set to private.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal McKeone packed his bags and traveled across the country to his home state of Western Australia.
Court documents state he now resides in Scarborough, north-east of Perth.
He has also hired powerful Melbourne law firm Galbally & O’Bryan, the same firm representing the man accused of murdering Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy.
McKeone is understood to be linked to The Bachelor Australia 2021’s Leeson, who had an on-off relationship with him following her split with Rogers.
She denied getting back together with McKeone when asked about it in July, telling reporters she was “just friends” with him.
However, the couple appeared to be in love in photos posted by Leeson on her Instagram page last week.
In them, McKeon appeared fit, healthy and happy, although it is unclear exactly when they were taken.
Bachelor star girlfriend Tahnee Leeson announced the shocking news on Instagram on Wednesday, just days after the court revealed McKeone’s whereabouts.
McKeone’s decision to hire the law firm followed a court decision to impose an order freezing his assets after he failed to appear in court.
The court heard it was necessary to contact McKeone via social media or email in an attempt to offer him the opportunity to plead his case.
The court had already ordered McKeone’s assets frozen totaling the amount Rocket Brands claimed he stole between May 23 and October 6.
That order was set to expire weeks ago, but was extended in McKeone’s absence.
The court heard McKeone, who once rubbed shoulders with Melbourne’s jet set, had limited access to $800 a week for living expenses and $10,000 to pay any legal fees.
McKeone joined Rocket Brands in March of this year with an annual salary of $200,000. But just weeks into his probation, staff reportedly raised concerns about his erratic behavior.
Evidence presented in court alleges that other employees told Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes that McKeone “slept in the work bathroom for up to four hours a day,” took excessively long lunch breaks and frequently left the office. without completing their tasks.
Other evidence given in court alleges that McKeone admitted the robbery when confronted by Holmes in mid-October, as seen in court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia.
The couple appeared to be glowing with happiness in the images, despite recent allegations that McKeone stole nearly $500,000 from her last employer.
During the meeting, evidence presented in court says McKeone allegedly confessed that he embezzled the money to finance “a very serious drug habit” and He told Holmes he would “do everything he could” to pay for the deal.
During last month’s hearing, lawyer Kieren Hickie of Rocket Brands asked the court to extend the freezing order to any international assets McKeone may have stashed abroad.
The court heard that McKeone had failed to comply with a “disclosure notice” due on November 24 despite assurances that he would hire a lawyer to act on his behalf.
Rocket Brands asked Judge Peter Gray to issue an interlocutory ruling (a non-final ruling that resolves one element of a claim or other issue without deciding the entire case) awarding it full restitution and its legal costs.
“My client intends to proceed by applying for an interlocutory judgment to be entered against the defendant and for damages to be assessed,” Mr Hickie said.
The company also requested that its legal costs be borne by McKeone, a request that was later granted.
‘We are here today, clearly the defendant has not filed an appearance. “The fair, timely and cost-effective resolution of this dispute would be for an interlocutory judgment to be entered,” Mr Hickie said.
Court documents allege that McKeone disguised 114 unauthorized transactions as legitimate payments to suppliers, funneling company money into his personal bank account to allegedly finance a drug addiction.
In the images, Leeson flaunted her growing baby bump in a completely sheer white two-piece skirt as she posed for a beach photoshoot with McKeone.
McKeone, meanwhile, opted for a more covered-up look, donning a white button-down shirt and blue jeans while taking the beloved pregnancy photos with Leeson.
According to court documents, McKeone allegedly used his exclusive access to Rocket’s financial systems to approve and process payments.
The affidavit alleges McKeone manipulated invoices to reflect payments to suppliers such as ‘Storage King’ and ‘Net Focus IT’ while redirecting funds to his own Westpac account.
Screenshots presented to the court allegedly show McKeone editing and approving these allegedly fraudulent transactions using the Xero software program. Holmes told the court he had not authorized any of those payments.
The alleged embezzlement was reportedly hidden in Rocket’s financial statements under the guise of “historical adjustments” totaling $310,878, further complicating the company’s efforts to identify the missing funds.
Holmes reported the alleged theft to Victoria Police on October 14.
Detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit interviewed McKeone on November 6, but no criminal charges have yet been laid as the investigation continues.
In the civil law case, Rocket Brands is demanding full restitution and has accused McKeone of breaching his duties as a senior manager.
The company has described its alleged actions in court documents as calculated and harmful, alleging that the alleged theft has caused significant financial losses.
The court filing states that McKeone’s actions were allegedly a “serious breach of trust” and that the company is “not in a position to accept (his) representation” that he has no money left in his accounts.
Olivia Molly Rogers, 32, who divorced McKeone last year, has not commented on the legal case.
Judge Gray extended the freezing order until April next year and the matter is now expected to go to trial.