Former NRL player Trent Merrin, 36, has been arrested and charged with allegedly stealing $140,000 in cryptocurrency. Police took him into custody at his home in Barrack Point, Illawarra, on Tuesday after a year-long investigation.
In November 2024, Orana Mid Western Police began investigating claims that a 29-year-old man's cryptocurrency account had been accessed without permission. Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District and State Crime Command's Cybercrime Squad raided Merrin's home on Tuesday morning, seizing electronic devices for forensic examination.
Merrin was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. Police allege he accessed the victim's account and transferred $140,000 worth of cryptocurrency.
Merrin, a former St George-Illawarra Dragons and Penrith Panthers forward, won the 2010 NRL premiership with the Dragons and also represented New South Wales and Australia. He was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on December 3.
