Justin McKeone, the former husband of former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers, has failed to repay nearly $500,000 that a civil court determined he had stolen from his previous employer.
Court Ruling and Theft Details
A civil court ruled that McKeone misappropriated $481,490.33 during his five-month tenure as Head of Finance at Rocket Brands (Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd). In March last year, the Supreme Court heard that McKeone used the money for an extravagant spree involving alcohol, drugs, and gambling, and was allegedly sleeping in the workplace toilets. He also took excessively long lunch breaks and frequently left the office without completing his duties.
McKeone was ordered to pay $556,698.50, including interest and costs, after being found in breach of his contract and fiduciary duty, causing damage to the company. He did not attend court to hear the allegations, having seemingly disappeared, sparking concerns for his well-being. However, the Daily Mail revealed he had returned to his home state of Western Australia, where he was found safe and well.
Bankruptcy Proceedings
A year after the Supreme Court order, it has emerged that McKeone is being pursued for the money in the Federal Circuit Court. The 2023 orders coincided with the conclusion of a lengthy police investigation, which led to McKeone being charged with over 100 offences related to obtaining financial advantage by deception from his former employer.
Rocket Brands has lodged a creditor’s petition seeking a sequestration order against McKeone’s estate for the full Supreme Court judgment amount plus an additional $63,346.02 in interest, as reported by The Age. The petition claims McKeone was served with a bankruptcy notice on March 20 and failed to comply by April 10.
Associate Justice Ian Irving previously stated that McKeone had an obligation to repay Rocket Brands. None of the transactions were authorised or approved by Rocket. McKeone admitted to stealing the money in a meeting with Matthew Holmes, sole director of Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd, on October 14, 2024. His bank statements showed that each time he received misappropriated funds, he used them almost immediately for personal purposes.
Background and Personal Life
McKeone joined Rocket Brands in March 2024 on a $200,000-a-year salary. Just weeks into his probationary period, staff raised concerns about his erratic behaviour. Records showed he had little over $1,000 in his account when he began taking more than $6,000 in his first four thefts. Barrister Kieren Hickie, for Rocket Brands, described it as a spending spree that continued until McKeone’s behaviour prompted the owner to investigate the company’s finances.
McKeone’s boss reported the alleged theft to Victoria Police on October 14, 2024, sparking a 15-month criminal investigation. Last year, McKeone revealed he was expecting a child with Tahnee Leeson, a contestant from The Bachelor Australia 2021, with whom he had an on-off relationship after his split from Molly Rogers.
Olivia Molly Rogers has since shared posts on Instagram expressing relief over ending her relationship with McKeone. She wrote: "Starting again might be the scariest - and best - decision you ever make. At 30 I left my marriage, unsure of what life would look like... Leaving is hard. But staying in the wrong relationship is harder." The couple married in early 2022, but the marriage ended after eight months in October of that year.
McKeone is scheduled to return to court for the criminal matters on June 5, and the creditor’s petition will be heard in the Federal Circuit Court a week later.
