A truck driver who was caught with the largest amount of illegal cash in Australian history has been sentenced to three years and three months in jail, admitting it was “the worst decision of my life.”
Nathan Ferguson, 54, appeared in the WA District Court on Tuesday charged with receiving, possessing, concealing, disposing of or dealing with money believed to be the proceeds of crime.
He was arrested by Western Australian Police in November 2020 in Coolgardie, 550 kilometers east of Perth, in a truck carrying more than $13 million.
More than half of the money was hidden in a water tank while the rest was in a cardboard box hidden in the wall of the vehicle, the Western Australia reported.
Ferguson was released shortly after being arrested, but was later extradited from New South Wales to Washington in October 2022 on charges of couriering $6,059,181.
Ferguson received a slightly reduced sentence because the prosecution could not prove that he had any role in carrying the cash or that he knew the larger sum was in the water tank.
Truck driver Nathan Ferguson (pictured right), who was caught with the largest pile of illegal cash in Australian history, was sentenced on Tuesday.
Ferguson was arrested by Western Australian Police in November 2020 in Coolgardie, 550km east of Perth, in a truck carrying more than $13 million (some of the money is pictured).
The court heard Ferguson suffered a series of losses, including the destruction of his home in a bushfire and the death of a friend in an industrial accident.
These were the reasons behind the downward spiral that led him to transport millions of dollars across the country for an organized crime gang.
Ferguson was to be paid $50,000 to move the millions of dollars, a fee Judge Mark Ritter said was of “some significance” and showed a “degree of trust” placed in him by the criminals who hired him.
“It is also indicative that you were aware, to some extent, of the criminal enterprise involved.”
The judge took into account Ferguson’s guilty plea, remorse, isolation from his family, mental health issues and attempts to rehabilitate when sentencing him.
Judge Ritter also accepted that the truck driver had told a psychologist the reasons why he became involved in the criminal enterprise and that in a letter to the court he apologized for what he did, saying it was “the worst decision he had ever made.” his life”.
Losing his home in a wildfire left Ferguson in financial trouble and also led him to distance himself from his daughter, who blamed him for not paying the home insurance premium.
The court also heard the truck driver suffers from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and had abused drugs in the past.
Police officers are seen standing behind a table with millions of dollars seized from a truck.
Ferguson said in his apology letter that it pained him to be away from his elderly mother, whom he had not seen since his arrest.
He said he was “ashamed and embarrassed” by his actions and that he felt alone in jail because he couldn’t see his partner, family and friends, all of whom are in the eastern states.
But the judge concluded there was nothing exceptional about Ferguson’s circumstances and that a suspended sentence was not appropriate.
Ferguson is eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence, which was retroactive to his arrest in October 2022, meaning he could be free as early as next month.