Sarah Tricarico, a lawyer associated with Melbourne’s gangland figures, has been granted permission to alter her bail conditions to allow for a family holiday. This development follows her recent charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, which she faces alongside her co-defendant Youssef Samaan Raffoul.
The 38-year-old lawyer appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief session this week. The charges against her stem from information revealed during Operation Ironside, a police investigation initiated in 2021 that involved monitoring communications on the AN0M app. This app was engineered by authorities to pose as a secure messaging platform for organised crime groups, while it was actually under surveillance by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the FBI.
During the hearing, Tricarico’s barrister, Dermot Dann KC, argued for the removal of travel restrictions on her bail, citing a pre-planned overseas trip with her mother and son. Magistrate Michelle Hodgson granted this request, agreeing with the barrister that it was not opposed by the police. However, the magistrate declined a prosecutor’s request for an extension to submit evidence to the defence, with Dann advocating for a quicker resolution, indicating his client’s desire to contest the charges. He maintained that Tricarico is innocent and eager to expedite the legal process.
The magistrate provided the police with a standard six-week period to compile the necessary evidence, despite the defence’s request for a shorter timeframe. Both Tricarico and Raffoul, who is also currently out on bail, are scheduled to return to court in June.
Tricarico has been representing notorious criminal Tony Mokbel since 2017, working on his appeal concerning drug trafficking convictions. Mokbel’s case is complicated by claims that barrister Nicola Gobbo compromised his defence by advising him while simultaneously cooperating with police.
In summary, the lawyer’s current legal troubles coincide with her longstanding association with high-profile criminal cases, marking a significant chapter in both her career and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to dismantle organised crime in the region.