Anthony McIlwain Last Pixel Recruited for a fraudulent Investement Broker Leederville, Nationwide

Anthony McIlwain is the project recruiter for a firm called LHL Concepts, also known as Leybourne Holdings. Mr McIlwain also has his own company, Last Pixel in Perth, WA.
He knows the Executive Chairman of LHL Concepts (Julian Bulman) apparently from palling around with him in Bangkok, where LHL Concepts is based. In March 2010, Mr McIlwain found a businessman who wanted investors to help him by a recently completed high rise in a major Australian city. The deal ended in financial ruin for one party and considerable financial loss for the businessman. In fact, several of the parties affected considered it a scam. Did Anthony McIlwain know this would be the result?

 Key Facts

The buildings developer wanted to sell for $35 million USD and the would-be purchaser needed investors to complete the sale. He was introduced to Anthony McIlwain, who advised he was a friend as well as a colleague of Julian Bulmans of LHL Concepts. LHL Concepts/Leybourne Holdings claims to be able to generate 95% of the project cost through investment
and only requires that its clients put down 5% of the cost up front. Their internet site advises they do this for projects worth up to $100 million USD. Mr McIlwain claimed to have worked with Bulman and his Chief Financial Officer, Ian Williamson, countless times before on deals worth far more than this one. When asked for confirmation of such projects, Anthony McIlwain reportedly told the prospective client that Julian doesnt have to give an account to anyone.Mr McIlwain advised that the cost for the introduction would be $50,000 USD and the businessman agreed.After a comprehensive evaluation of the businessmans accounts, LHL Concepts accepted the businessman into their clientele. A contract was signed that required the client deposit $1.5 million USD and guaranteed that LHL Concepts would produce $40 million USD worth of investment to complete the purchase of the building. The contract also advised that Anthony McIlwain introducer would be paid $450,000 USD for bringing the client together with Julian Bulman. April 30th 2010 was the date agreed upon for the sale. For the months following the sale date, Julian Bulman and Ian Williamson continued to reassure, haggle and stonewall all the parties. During this period, they managed to effect a $250,000 USD loan from their clients secure deposit. Barclays Wealth Bank in Geneva was the bank that loaned the money to LHL Concepts/Leybourne Holdings. Apparently the loan was approved by James Persse, a manager at the bank and a reported friend of Ian Williamsons.The client knew nothing about the loan until he spoke with Barclays and was told about it. He would like to know why no-one at Barclays asked him if it was okay to lend out his money, or even let him know it had happened.By August/September 2010, the sale had fallen through and all parties realised that LHL Concepts were not going to produce the money and honour their contract. They decamped with the $250,000 USD at first promising to re-pay the loan, but later reneging and calling it a non refundable administration cost.Barclays wrote to the client, giving back the rest of his money but denying any responsibility for the $250,000 USD. A senior manager, Oliver Grinn, co-signed the letter with James Persse.Anthony McIlwain has contacted the ex-client several times in pursuit of payment for his services, in the
amount of $450,000 USD. Mr McIlwain stated that he had been assured by Julian Bulman he would receive his fee. In fact, Anthony McIlwain also tried to get paid before LHL Concepts walked away from the contract.

Conclusion

The ex-client and the developer are convinced they were scammed, and believe that LHL Concepts never intended to get the funding but just wanted the deposit money. The developer lost everything he had the building had to be sold as a distressed sale and he personally went bankrupt. The ex-client has reported the stolen money to Interpol and the Australian Federal Police. Julian Bulman and Ian Williamson are apparently overseas, do not reply to any contacts and seemingly have no intention of giving their client back his money. The ex-client has told Anthony McIlwain he wont get anything from him, and has also referred this matter to the police. Apparently now Mr McIlwain is attempting to put some distance between himself and his former associates.

 Marshal Shichtman, the solicitor for LHL Concepts, summarised the situation most succinctly. He called it: the most f'd up deal I have ever seen and that ... this would look like a fraud. And that was for the record.