Ex-NRL star avoids conviction over $140k crypto theft
Former NRL star Trent Merrin has admitted to stealing $140,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a friend but has walked away without a conviction.
The 36-year-old former State of Origin and Australian Test lock was sentenced to an 18-month community release order without conviction for the crime.
Merrin was charged after his former friend and St George Illawarra Dragons teammate Kaide Ellis reported $140,000 worth of bitcoin missing, sparking a year-long police investigation.
Court documents said Merrin advised Ellis to create a cryptocurrency account in 2020 while the pair were playing for the Dragons.
Ellis invested about $15,000 initially, but by the…
