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Remedy Housing officials Brent Smith, Mahmoud Khodr, and Fue Mano were sentenced in the County Court of Victoria after a jury found them guilty on 14 July 2025.
On 10 March 2026, her Honour Judge Quin handed down the following sentences:
- Smith was sentenced to six years and two months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.
- Khodr was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of three years.
- Mano was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, with 18 months to serve followed by a recognisance release order requiring her to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
Between 2019 and 2021, Remedy Housing received deposits from approximately 107 customers totalling $1.83 million. Smith and Khodr were found to have jointly misappropriated $754,574, while Smith was also found to have misappropriated an additional $19,500.
According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Smith and Mano dishonestly represented to consumers that Remedy Housing would provide an interest-free mortgage within 12 months after a deposit of at least $10,000 was paid.
They also claimed deposits would be refunded in full if the mortgage was not provided within that timeframe.
Consumers were further told that Remedy Housing was financed by overseas investors, including funding from a former Samoan international rugby union player, Trevor Leota. He was not charged in relation to the offences.
It was found that Remedy Housing had no investors or funders and never provided any mortgages. Funds received from customers were instead used to operate the scheme or transferred to the personal accounts of Smith and Khodr.
ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said the case highlighted the regulator’s focus on misconduct in the financial services sector.
“The conduct of Mr Smith, Mr Khodr and Ms Mano relied on building and maintaining trust with customers over long periods of time. This trust was significantly breached,” Court said.
“This matter demonstrates ASIC’s commitment to ensuring dishonesty in the credit and financial services industry is penalised.”
In sentencing, Judge Quin noted the scheme was sophisticated, targeted vulnerable customers, and involved the misuse of a significant amount of funds for personal use.
The court also granted reparation orders, requiring Mano to pay $106,950 to seven victims and ordering Smith and Mano to jointly pay $85,000 to four victims.
The matter was investigated by ASIC and prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Background
Remedy Housing was operated by Smith and Khodr as director and secretary respectively. Mano was an officer of the company and, together with Leota, promoted the business to consumers, primarily within Pacific Islander communities in Australia and New Zealand.
On 17 June 2021, ASIC moved to shut down Remedy Housing and obtained interim orders and injunctions from the Federal Court against Smith, Khodr, Leota and Remedy Housing.
On 16 June 2022, Smith, Khodr and Mano were charged with criminal directors’ duties breaches relating to interest-free mortgages offered by Remedy Housing and were later convicted of dishonesty offences on 15 July 2025.
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