Remedy Housing officials Brent Smith, Mahmoud Khodr, and Fue Mano have been sentenced by the County Court of Victoria for their roles in promoting interest free mortgages following guilty findings by a jury on 14 July 2025 (25-137MR).
On 10 March 2026, Her Honour Judge Quin in the County Court of Victoria sentenced Mr Smith, Mr Khodr and Ms Mano as follows:
- Mr Smith was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 3 years and 6 months
- Mr Khodr was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 3 years,
- Ms Mano was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment, with 18 months to serve followed by a Recognisance Release Order to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
Between 2019 and 2021, Remedy Housing received deposits from approximately 107 customers totalling $1.83 million. Mr Smith and Mr Khodr were found to have jointly misappropriated $754,574. Additionally, Mr Smith was found to have misappropriated a further $19,500.
ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said, 'The conduct of Mr Smith, Mr Khodr and Ms Mano relied on building and maintaining trust with customers over long periods of time. This trust was significantly breached.
'This matter demonstrates ASIC's commitment to ensuring dishonesty in the credit and financial services industry is penalised.'
Mr Smith and Ms Mano dishonestly represented to consumers that:
- Remedy Housing would provide them with an interest-free mortgage within 12 months upon their payment of a deposit of at least $10,000
- if Remedy Housing could not provide an 'interest-free mortgage' to the consumer within 12 months, the deposit would be refunded in full, and
- Remedy Housing was financed by overseas investors, including financing from a former Samoan international rugby union player.
In sentencing, her Honour Judge Quin noted it was a sophisticated scheme that targeted vulnerable customers and involved the misuse of a significant amount of funds for personal use.
Remedy Housing had no investors or funders, never provided any mortgages, and the funds it acquired from customers were used to operate the scheme or transferred to the personal accounts of Mr Smith and Mr Khodr.
Reparation orders were granted by the court, ordering that Ms Mano pay $106,950 to seven victims and that Mr Smith and Ms Mano pay $85,000 to four victims.
The matter was investigated by ASIC and prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (CDPP).
Background
Remedy Housing was operated by Mr Smith and Mr Khodr as director and secretary respectively. Ms Mano was an officer of the company who was involved, together with Mr Leota, in promoting the business to consumers, primarily in the Pacific Islander communities in Australia and New Zealand.
On 17 June 2021, ASIC moved to shut down Remedy Housing and successfully obtained interim orders and injunctions from the Federal Court against Mr Smith, Mr Khodr, Mr Leota and Remedy Housing (21-149MR).
On 16 June 2022, Mr Smith, Mr Khodr and Ms Mano were charged with criminal directors' duties breaches relating to interest-free mortgages offered by Remedy Housing (22-145MR) and were convicted of dishonesty offences on 15 July 2025 (25-137MR).
Moneysmart.gov.au has information to help consumers with property investments and home loans.
