SA chiropractor in jail on charges of drug trafficking

NICOLA MILTZ

Dr Warren Sipser, 43, a well-known Melbourne chiropractor, previously married to television personality and author Andi Lew, has been in jail since December last year. He faces charges including importing a commercial quantity of cocaine with an estimated street value of A$90 million (R930.4 million).

Australian police allege that 120kg of cocaine, shipped in 600 wine bottles from South Africa, was delivered to his Elwood clinic in July 2018 before being collected by two men who were later detained and released.

Earlier this year, Sipser was denied bail in the criminal division of the Supreme Court in Melbourne.

His distraught mother, Rivelle Hasson, who lives with her son in Melbourne, contacted the SA Jewish Report last week when she heard the newspaper was investigating the story. She has been told by her son’s lawyers not to comment.

Sipser’s father, who asked not to be named, lives in Johannesburg. He said he hadn’t had much contact with his son since he left the country more than 20 years ago. He told the SA Jewish Report he was shaken when he heard of his son’s arrest while on holiday.

“I nearly fell off my chair. We haven’t spoken for 15 years, but as a father, I’m very worried about him. I’m worried about his son, my grandson, whom I have never met, and about my ex-wife, who lives with him.”

Sipser’s legal team said he had no criminal convictions, was at risk of defaulting on his mortgage, and the matter might not reach trial until 2021. Bail was refused in spite of the offer of a A$1million (R10.4 million)surety.

The Crown’s case alleges that between 15 June and 6 July 2018, Sipser imported a consignment containing 120kg of pure cocaine.

On 23 June 2018, Sipser allegedly purchased 600 750ml bottles of wine via eBay from Johannesburg.

Three days later, the consignment arrived in Sydney addressed to “Warren” at an address in Victoria, according to supporting documents.

The consignment was inspected by the Australian Border Force (ABF), and the contents of one of the bottles tested “a positive presumptive test for cocaine”.

The consignment was seized by the ABF, and the matter referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for investigation.

The AFP office in Sydney retained the original consignment, and forwarded the packaging to the AFP in Melbourne. Subsequent testing allegedly identified traces of cocaine in 343 out of the 600 bottles in the consignment, according to court documents.

The net weight of pure cocaine found within the bottles is alleged to be 120kg, with a wholesale value of A$25.2 million (R262.6 million) and a retail value of A$90 million (R938 million), according to court records.

The prosecution said the AFP office in Melbourne reconstructed the consignment to replicate its original packaging, including filling replica wine bottles with “an inert substance imitating that of liquid cocaine”.

According to the prosecution, Sipser allegedly made arrangements for the replacement consignment to be delivered to his practice in Elwood, rather than the Victoria address that was originally organised.

Sipser was at the Crown Casino with his son at the time the consignment arrived at his practice on 6 July. He allegedly contacted his mother and step-father, and requested that they receive the consignment on his behalf.

“It is the Crown case that the applicant was intentionally absent from his business practice at this time to distance himself from the replacement consignment,” said papers before the court. In oral argument, however, Sipser’s counsel said he was at the casino with his son, having been offered free accommodation, rather than “distancing himself” from delivery of the consignment.

The goods were delivered to Sipser’s practice at about 11:00. He was allegedly seen by police inspecting the consignment.

Later that day, the consignment was collected and loaded into a vehicle by two men who were intercepted by police at a service station in Tallarook. The men were arrested and released pending further investigation.

Three months later, an undercover police officer allegedly made contact with Sipser and made “an offer to alter or destroy documentation connecting the applicant [Sipser] to the consignment”, according to court papers.

According to the Supreme Court bail application, Sipser allegedly accepted the offer, and said that he had more cocaine.

“Yeah, I’ve got more – but you got to make this shit go away,” he is alleged to have told the undercover agent.

In argument, counsel for the applicant sought to diminish the evidence to support the allegations by saying, “This was a ploy by the AFP”, and that the applicant was talking to someone he thought was a patient.

Police searched Sipser’s home and practice.

“Items found included clip-seal bags, empty capsules, scales, 79.3g of cocaine, and A$2 100 (R21 887) in currency. A search of the applicant’s vehicle was also conducted, which located 38 cocaine-filled capsules, and A$650 (R6 774) in currency.”

Sipser has denied any involvement and knowledge of this.

In 1994, the year Nelson Mandela became president, Sipser had the world at his feet. He was elected head prefect at his prestigious Jewish school, and was elected vice-captain of first-team rugby.

The founding principal of the school, Jeffrey Wolf, told the SA Jewish Report, “I only have praise for Warren, he showed great leadership and integrity, he played rugby and did fairly well academically. He stood for all the good things that the school still stands for. This is sad news. I’m not sure what happened when he emigrated, and if he got caught up in something.”

Former school pupils, who wished to remain anonymous, told the SA Jewish Report they were shocked to hear the news.

Several said he was popular at school, sporty and athletic rather than academic. One or two agreed that he wasn’t a standout candidate for head boy, and that his election came as a surprise. Overall, they described him as an amicable, sweet guy, who seemed like a good leader at the time.

After Grade 12, Sipser trained as a paramedic in South Africa, then graduated as a chiropractor from RMIT University in Melbourne. He has a Masters in paediatric chiropractic. He opened his chiropractic practice at the age of 25.

He has made a name for himself as a “primary care provider”, and refers to his popular practice as a “wellness centre”, with children making up a large percentage of his business. He served on the executive of the Chiropractors Association of Australia for many years.

He and his then wife, Andi Lew, who described themselves as wellness experts, co-authored a book: 7 Things Your Doctor Forgot To Tell You, as a guide to optimal health. The couple have a son together.

In a statement issued by her lawyer, Lew told the Herald Sun that she was saddened by the news of Sipser’s arrest, but that their relationship had ended more than six years ago. “In the 13 years that I was with Dr Warren Sipser, we didn’t even have any over-the-counter medications in our home as we adhered to natural living.”

Sipser’s chiropractic business has been sold since his arrest, and his license to practice has been suspended by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. This decision is presently the subject of an appeal.