News24 | Hawks arrest Peet Viljoen on arrival at OR Tambo airport in connection with alleged fraud

Disbarred lawyer and alleged shoplifter Peet Viljoen was arrested by the Hawks after touching down at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday night following his deportation from the US.

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said that his arrest stemmed from allegations that several Johannesburg Property Company (JPC)-owned properties were unlawfully sold in May 2010 to unsuspecting purchasers who bought them in good faith.

Mogale said that the cases were initially reported at Sandton and Boschkop police stations before being referred to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit.

“Despite the properties being transferred and sold, the Johannesburg Property Company reportedly did not receive payment for the transactions, resulting in substantial financial prejudice,” Mogale said.

Viljoen is expected to appear in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday on charges of fraud, theft, forgery, uttering and contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

READ | ‘Celebrity’ Peet Viljoen begs US judge to deport him to tend to ailing father

His arrest at OR Tambo International Airport comes after he and his wife, Mel, made headlines following their arrest in Boca Raton, Florida, on allegations that they had carried out a six-month supermarket shoplifting scheme.

The couple relocated to Florida in the US in July 2024 and frequently posted videos portraying what they described as the benefits of life in the US.

However, that image unravelled in March when Boca Raton police arrested the couple on allegations that they stole groceries from a Publix supermarket through a coordinated “ticket-switching” scheme.

According to arrest affidavits, the scheme allegedly involved scanning lower-priced items while bagging more expensive products, resulting in losses of more than $5 300 over six months.

READ | From toilet paper to prosecco: Inside the shopping carts that got Mel, Peet Viljoen nabbed

Following their arrest, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) determined that the couple’s visitor visas had also expired. Mel was detained and granted voluntary departure to South Africa.

Viljoen remained in US custody before being deported and returned to South Africa on Tuesday, where the Hawks arrested him.

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