Former high flying real estate agent Aaron Drever faces criminal charges connected to his role at Auckland Speedway, the Herald can reveal.
Drever is currently charged with obtaining nearly $500,000 by deception in connection with his alleged role in the on-sale of Avondale Bowling Club land in December 2016.
But police have now charged him with new dishonesty offences - two counts of forgery and two of using a document with intent to deceive - which are due to be called at a court appearance next month.
The Herald understands the new charges relate to Drever's work at Auckland Speedway, where he was assisting with advertising and marketing.
Speedway boss Bill Buckley told the Herald he was aware of the matter but did not want to comment in detail.
"As far as I'm concerned it's in police hands at this point."
Drever was once one of the country's top real estate agents, selling hundreds of homes across West Auckland for several different agencies and earning millions of dollars in commission.
But he was stripped of his licence by the Real Estate Authority in 2016 for misconduct after notching up a record nine adverse disciplinary findings.
Once known as the "voice of Speedway" for his race announcing work, Drever has a long association with the organisation.
It's understood Buckley took Drever in in a marketing capacity when Drever needed work after the collapse of the former agent's Grocer's Market business on Dominion Rd.
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Buckley said Drever was "only working for me voluntarily" but indicated that arrangement had now come to an end when spoken to this week.
"I think he still goes [to Speedway]. I haven't banned him.
"I can't say anything. I've got enough to do without all that."
A Speedway source told the Herald Drever was put in charge of marketing and advertising last year.
But eyebrows were raised when he began making important decisions about races.
Drever was "quietly removed" just before Christmas and police called in, the source said.
"[Speedway Promotions] are investigating it and going to send anything they find to police. But we haven't had any formal notification. I guess we'll wait to see what goes through court.
"We feel really bad for Bill."
In a statement, Drever told the Herald: "I am aware of the allegations but it would be inappropriate to make any comment on anything before the courts and more specifically on allegations that I have not seen."
Avondale Bowling Club
Drever was charged by police last year with obtaining $466,553.37 by deception in connection with the Avondale Bowling Club sale.
Property records show the land at 1797 Great North Rd was sold in December 2016 for $300,000 by Avondale Bowling Club Incorporated to a company named Avondale Bowling Club Limited, whose sole director and shareholder at the time was Beverley Ellen Spain.
The sale price was less that half the land's rateable value at the time. Spain is Drever's aunt.
It is understood the property changed hands again on the same day, with Drever confirming the second sale was for $775,000 - a markup of $475,000.
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The final buyer was 88 Cents Limited, which is owned by Auckland property investor Jonathan Michell, who Drever has been involved with in several previous property deals.
Spain is no longer a director or shareholder of Avondale Bowling Club Limited, which Companies Office records show is now owned by Drever.
In a statement to the Herald in May last year, Drever confirmed he had purchased the Avondale Bowling Club land himself through his aunt's company in order to prevent the Herald learning of his windfall.
"All the shares in the company were held in trust for me, it was my company and I controlled it. I had authority to operate this company from my aunty and both her and I had discussed this with our lawyer.
"The reason I did this was that I had previously had a series of stories published in the newspaper and I knew that if my name was on the paperwork the Herald would do a story complaining about the profit I had made."
Drever said he learned the bowling club was in financial difficulty and needed to sell an asset.
After inspecting the land he realised a boundary change could make it a development site, significantly increasing its value.
He then offered the land to Michell who agreed to buy it "at an agreed price".
Drever said all parties were made aware it was an on-sale situation involving a "middle" company, and their lawyers had access to electronic records some two weeks before settlement.
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"Nobody asked how much profit I was making and what the value of the transaction was at each stage."
Drever added that he ran the deal past his own lawyers to ensure everything was above board.
"Nobody ever asked how much money I would make from the on-sale, including the lawyer for the bowling club, despite the fact that it was visible to all that this was an on-sale."
Drever said he'd come up with a "clever idea" to increase the site's value and make a "reasonable profit".
"My advisors and I are completely confused as to why the police seem to think I have committed a crime.
"If making a reasonable profit on a deal is a crime most of the New Zealand rich list are in some serious trouble."
The Avondale Bowling Club on-sale is also under investigation by the Real Estate Authority, but the investigation is on hold pending the outcome of the police prosecution.
In July 2018, the High Court found Drever was also personally liable for nearly $500,000 in debt after failing to restart the Nosh supermarket brand.
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