Footy star Trent Merrin allegedly stole a fortune from his own teammate in scam that saw police raid his house

Footy star Trent Merrin allegedly stole a fortune from his own teammate in scam that saw police raid his house Former star is due to appear in court on December 3 By SHAYNE BUGDEN, SPORTS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 04:40 GMT, 6 November 2025 | Updated: 04:49 GMT, 6 November 2025 Police will allege premiership-winning NRL great Trent Merrin stole $140,000 from a former teammate in a cryptocurrency scam, according to a report. The former Penrith, St George, NSW and Kangaroos star was arrested in a police raid on his NSW South Coast home on Tuesday morning. He has been charged with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception after a police investigation that began late last year. It will be alleged that Merrin, 36, stole $140,000 in Bitcoin from his ex-Penrith Panthers and Dragons teammate Kaide Ellis, according to News Corp. Ellis notified police about the allegations almost a year ago after Merrin started convincing him to invest in cryptocurrency in 2021, the report states. Merrin allegedly had the password to the Bitcoin wallet where the money was kept, which could have allowed him to access the funds. Premiership-winning NRL star Trent Merrin (pictured) allegedly stole $140,000 from a former teammate Kaide Ellis (pictured left with Nathan Cleary) played alongside Merrin at the Panthers and Dragons before the alleged scam took place Pictured: The moment Merrin (left) was arrested by police at his home on Tuesday morning The report states that police allegedly traced the money to an account for Merrin's Freeze Yourself ice bath business. Officers seized several electronic devices from Merrin's property in Barrack Point, which will be forensically analysed. Merrin was arrested and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station, where he was charged. The former back-rower has been an active member of the crypto community since his retirement in 2021, even going so far as to describe himself as a 'cryptocurrency enthusiast' on his LinkedIn profile. He was granted conditional bail ahead of an appearance in Port Kembla Local Court on December 3. Merrin made headlines in 2017 after splitting from his former girlfriend, champion surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, after three years together. The pair started dating in 2014 and were engaged the following year during a trip to Vanuatu. At the time of the breakup, Fitzgibbons said she was focused on 'exciting' opportunities. Merrin (pictured left with former NSW State of Origin teammate Paul Gallen) describes himself as a 'cryptocurrency enthusiast' on LinkedIn Merrin is now a father of two children and dating Kiara Ramsey, who greeted officers at the door of their home on Tuesday morning. Ellis played nine matches for Penrith from 2018 to 2019, before clocking up 18 games for St George Illawarra over the following two years. He moved to the Wigan Warriors in the Super League in 2022, running out for the team on 124 occasions. The 29-year-old won the grand final with the Warriors in 2023 and 2024, in addition to victories in the 2022 and 2024 Challenge Cups. Ellis was embroiled in a Covid controversy while with the Dragons in 2021, getting fined $5000 and suspended for one match after breaking protocols by attending a party hosted by his then-teammate Paul Vaughan. Penrith PanthersSt. GeorgeNRL Share or comment on this article: Footy star Trent Merrin allegedly stole a fortune from his own teammate in scam that saw police raid his house