Former union delegate and bikie fined $2,000 over illegal debt collection

Joel Leavitt, a former CFMEU delegate with ties to bikie gangs, has been fined $2,000 for violating debt collection laws. Leavitt, along with several others, was arrested by Victoria Police's Taskforce Hawk, which is investigating corruption in the building sector. He pleaded guilty to not providing his phone PIN code to police and being a prohibited person involved in debt collection.

The blackmail charge against him has been dropped. Leavitt had previously been charged with blackmailing a business owner for $663,000 but opted to plead guilty to the lesser charge. This came after an assault conviction from 2023 barred him from working as a debt collector. Magistrate Donna Bakos convicted Leavitt and imposed the fine.

Prosecutors withdrew the more serious blackmail charge, which could have resulted in up to 15 years in jail, against co-accused Thomas Sheehan, Emin Mehmedovic, Napoleon Brown, and Jared Davis. Leavitt was described as a member of the Bandidos gang and was named in a report by Queensland's Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU, detailing his criminal history, links to the Rebels gang, and involvement in Victoria's construction industry.

The report referred to him as a "violent and brutal criminal." On a meeting with Jason Hopp, CEO of Cedar Meats, Leavitt questioned why Sheehan had not been paid and suggested Hopp should speak with the financiers. Hopp, terrified by the encounter, moved his family into a hotel. Leavitt's lawyer argued that his client was polite and reasonable during the meeting.