A MAN facing 135 offences, accused of a multi-million dollar fraud has had his case moved to Sydney.
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Justin Luke Yianakis did not appear in Tamworth District Court when Judge Deborah Payne was told his trial could span three months.
"Where is it up to with all these offences?," Judge Payne asked, scanning the court file.
A solicitor for the DPP said the Crown needed a two week adjournment.
"The matter is currently with director's chambers to sort out the indictments," she told the court.
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"The Crown would be seeking at least a two week adjournment to finalise that."
Yianakis' defence from Parramatta, who dialled into the court, agreed to the extra time.
Judge Payne said it was 135 sequences, "it can't be done here", outlining the case would need to be moved to Sydney.
"The estimate for the trial is three months," the DPP solicitor told the court.
"The link to this [court], my understanding is the accused was residing in the area at the time.
"But the majority of the witnesses are based in Sydney as well."
The DPP solicitor said the "Crown's preference [for trial] is Sydney".
"It can't be done here it would need another courthouse ... to be built," Judge Payne said.
"We can't let this run on."
Judge Payne said because the Crown will make a change of venue application, the case should be moved immediately, even before pleas are formally entered.
"It can go into town and start being managed in town," she said, adjourning the case to Sydney.
Yianakis was first charged in January 2019 by Oxley detectives with almost 130 charges involving betting giants CrownBet and Ladbrokes, as well as Macquarie Telecom and the National Australia Bank.
At the time, it was the police case that the then 40-year-old allegedly scammed betting giants and a bank out of almost $3 million.
The frauds allegedly took place between 2017 and January 2019 in Gunnedah.
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