Madeline BIGATTON
Madeline's car (above) was found at Cape Solander (above right)
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Name: |
BIGATTON Madeline |
Sex: |
Female |
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Year of Birth: |
1970 |
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At Time of Disappearance |
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Age: |
48 |
Height (cm): |
163.0 |
Build: |
Thin |
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Hair Colour: |
Black |
Eye Colour: |
Brown |
Complexion: |
Fair |
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Nationality: |
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Racial Appearance: |
Caucasian |
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Circumstances |
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Madeline Bigatton was last seen on 25 March 2018 after dropping her
daughter at a friends house. Her car was located at Cape Solander
in Sydney. There have been no confirmed sightings of Madeline since
this time. |
Relatives fear missing mum Madeline Bigatton may have met foul play
FEARS Madeline Bigatton may have been murdered amid talk of a missing $70m, a
relative of the 48-year-old who vanished in March has revealed.
EXCLUSIVE
A RELATIVE of missing Sydney woman Madeline Bigatton believes there is a
chance the mother-of-two was murdered.
The relative said the family is still unsure what happened to the much-loved
48-year-old but fear there may have been foul play.
Mrs Bigatton, who is mum to a teenager and a younger girl, has not been seen
since she left the family mansion in the southern Sydney suburb of Carss
Park at 11.30pm on Sunday, March 25.
A close relative of Mrs Bigatton — who asked not to be identified — said
while the family had entertained the possibility she had taken her own life
or run away, they also believed she may have met with foul play.
He also believes money may have been a possible reason behind her
disappearance.
Despite Mrs Bigatton previously telling a neighbour the family was cash
poor, an investor in Mrs Bigatton’s husband’s Bitcoin business says there
was no apparent shortage of cash.
The couple’s elder daughter boasted on Instagram as recently as a month ago
about luxury hotels and overseas holidays, and the couple bought new cars
last year.
It was Ms Bigatton’s black 2017 Kia Sorento which was found abandoned near a
cliff top three months ago which has sparked rumours as to the reasons she
has disappeared.
It is believed Mrs Bigatton had also undergone treatment for cancer before her
disappearance.
Mrs Bigatton’s husband is Bitcoin entrepreneur John Bigatton, who last November
addressed a lavish launch of the Australian arm of a company called Bitconnect
which he described as “the stock market on steroids”.
Bitconnect, a crypto currency platform that once had a US currency market cap of
$2.9 billion, withdrew from trading in January.
In John Bigatton’s online corporate biographies, he is described as “an
International Speaker, Lifestyle & high-Performance Strategist” and a “Cashflow
FX strategist”.
Mrs Bigatton’s Kia was located at Cape Solander, a cliff side lookout 20km away
at Kurnell overlooking Botany Bay.
An unconfirmed
report said that the health industry worker had left her wedding ring in the
car and texted her husband to tell him before she disappeared.
A week later, two men found Mrs Bigatton’s car keys near the vehicle. Police are
now keen to speak to these men, described as of subcontinental appearance, and
to any others who may have seen Mrs Bigatton on the day she disappeared.
News.com.au has learned that Madeline Bigatton told neighbours she
had such severe money problems along with her husband that she couldn’t
afford to give a few dollars to charity.
A neighbour of the Bigattons in Sydney’s south, from where the 48-year-old
vanished at night in March, said the mum-of-two told her: “We don’t have a cent
to spare.”
The woman had been collecting for the National Heart Foundation when she knocked
on the door of the Bigatton’s large house on Erang Street, Carss Park.
Mrs Bigatton, who along with her husband is believed to be a health professional
turned investment adviser, bought the property in 2006.
The couple knocked down an old brick house on the land built a two-storey
multiple winged home.
When the neighbour, who news.com.au agreed not to name, knocked on the door, Mrs
Bigatton opened up what look like a large, expensive foyer.
“When I told her I was collecting for the Heart Foundation, she said ‘We don’t
have a cent to spare’,” the neighbour said.
She said that Mrs Bigatton told her, “We have our own problems and we have
business problems. We have business debt.”
John Bigatton’s online business profiles say he is also a previously chief
operations officer of Wealth Synergy, as well as a number of mind, body and
sports-related businesses no longer registered with ASIC.
But Mr Bigatton and his missing wife have a current ABN number registered in the
Carss Park postcode.
Mrs Bigatton was seen shortly before her disappearance near Kogarah Bay; she was
often seen “on her morning walk or walking her puppy”.
The missing mum-of-two, who in photographs looks very youthful for her age, was
“really into fitness”, neighbours said.
Five weeks after Mrs Bigatton vanished, relatives held a memorial service for
her at a church in Kingsrove, not far from her home.
But Mrs Bigatton’s relative admitted the family did not really know what had
happened to her.
On Tuesday, police released a photograph of Ms Bigatton and a plea to help
locate her.
“Police and her family hold serious concerns for her welfare and are appealing
for the community’s assistance,” a NSW Police statement read.
Mrs Bigatton was last seen wearing a khaki green singlet, three-quarter pants,
and was carrying a black and white bag.
St George Detectives are appealing for the two men who located the keys, and
anyone in the vicinity of Cape Solander at Kurnell who may have sighted her or
her vehicle, to contact St George Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Missing woman and Bitcoin boss husband had ‘money problems'
Candace Sutton - news.com.au June 20 2018
MISSING woman Madeline Bigatton, who vanished three months ago, and her
Bitcoin boss husband had money problems, neighbours have revealed.
MISSING woman Madeline Bigatton is the wife of Bitcoin entrepreneur and
investment adviser John Louis Bigatton.
The 48-year-old who vanished from the couple’s luxury southern Sydney home
three months ago has two teenage daughters with Mr Bigatton.
John Bigatton is a director of a controversial bitcoin investment company
BitConnect.
His online business profiles say he was also previously chief operations
officer of Wealth Synergy, as well as a number of mind, body and sports
related businesses no longer registered with ASIC.
Despite this, a neighbour told news.com.au the couple was short of money.
One neighbour told news.com.au that when she approached the Madeline about
donating to charity she was told by mum of two: “We don’t have a cent to
spare”.
The woman had been collecting for the National Heart Foundation when she
knocked on the door of the Bigatton’s large house on Erang Street, Carss
Park.
Ms Bigatton, who along with her husband is believed to be a health
professional turned investment adviser, bought their Sydney property in
2006.
The couple knocked down an old brick house on the land and built a two-storey
multiple winged home.
But at some point the Bigattons ran out of money and could not complete the
rebuild.
When the neighbour, who news.com.au agreed not to name, knocked on the door, Ms
Bigatton opened up what look like a large, expensive foyer.
“When I told her I was collecting for the Heart Foundation, she said ‘We don’t
have a cent to spare’.
“We have our own problems and we have business problems. We have business debt,”
the neighbour claimed Ms Bigatton told her.
“For the owners of such a big beautiful house, it’s unusual they couldn’t give a
dollar.
“Inside looked stunning, but the outside was unfinished.”
Ms Bigatton, who worked in health and fitness, was seen shortly before her
disappearance near Kogarah Bay and was often seen “on her morning walk or
walking her puppy”.
Ms Bigatton was “really into fitness”, neighbours said.
She was last seen leaving the family home at about 11.30pm on Sunday, March 25.
When she failed to return home that night, St George police located her car, a
black 2017 Kia Sorento, at Cape Solander, a cliff side lookout 20km away at
Kurnell overlooking Botany Bay.
Ms Bigatton was last seen wearing a khaki green singlet, three-quarter pants,
and was carrying a black and white bag.
Police launched an extensive land, air and marine search, but failed to locate
Ms Bigatton.
On Tuesday, police released a photograph of Ms Bigatton and a plea to help
locate her.
“Police and her family hold serious concerns for her welfare and are appealing
for the community’s assistance,” a NSW Police statement read.
In May family and friends held a memorial ceremony for Ms Bigatton at Our Lady
of Fatima Church in Kinsgrove, with mourners asked to dress in bright colours.
Her cousin Scott Anthony has written online of the family’s heartbreak and
frustration.
“It’s a very sad day in our family my cousin has been missing for over 4 weeks
now — no one knows nothing … so frustrating when u love someone and no one can
find them,” he posted on Facebook.
“Police fear the worst, I fear sadness — we are not safe or free in this world.”
Sonya McDougall, another family member, asked friends to share the missing
woman’s picture.
“Tonight I light my candle for this Gorgeous Woman Madeline … Who I pray will
return safely …
“Madeline’s car was found at Kurnell along with her personal belongings …
Madeline is family so if anybody has seen her or has any information on her
whereabouts please contact me or your local Police …”
Police are now seeking two men of subcontinental appearance who found the keys
to Ms Bigatton’s car a week after she vanished.
St George Detectives are appealing for the two men who located the keys, and
anyone in the vicinity of Cape Solander at Kurnell who may have sighted her or
her vehicle, to contact St George Police or Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
John Bigatton fronts court over alleged bitcoin mega scam
The Australian promoter of an alleged global cryptocurrency scam faced court
wearing sneakers and a hoodie. It’s alleged he ripped off mum and dad investors
in a scheme worth billions.
UPDATE
A man accused of participating in a multi-billion dollar global Bitcoin scam
will stand trial - although not until next year.
It is alleged Australian mum and dad investors were ripped off as part of the
scheme.
John Bigatton was arraigned in Sydney District Court on Friday (June 11) where
he entered pleas of not guilty to all his charges.
His case will next go before the court for a readiness hearing on April 22 prior
to the June 6 trial date.
EARLIER
BY EMILY MACDONALD ON
MAY 12 2021
A man who ASIC alleges helped rip off mum and dad investors in a scheme worth
billions of dollars is set to stand trial after maintaining his innocence.
John Louis Anthony Bigatton, 52, of Carss Park fronted Downing Centre Local
Court on Tuesday (May 11).
The former high flying businessman, whose wife Madeline is still listed as a
missing person following her disappearance in 2018, was dressed informally for
his date with Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson.
Madeline was last seen nears the cliffs of Kurnell in southern Sydney.
Bigatton is charged with one count each of operating an unregistered managed
investment scheme and unlawfully providing financial services for a principal
and four counts of providing false or misleading information affecting market
participation.
Bigatton’s lawyer Liam Macandrews told the court his client was maintaining his
not guilty plea.
“Pleas of not guilty are confirmed all charges against you,” Magistrate Atkinson
said.
“This is a matter that needs to be finalised in the District Court.”
Bigatton, who is not subject to bail, will next appear in the District Court on
June 11 where he is due to be committed to stand trial.
According to a media statement from ASIC, Bigatton promoted the online
cryptocurrency platform, BitConnect, between August 2017 and January 2018.
“It is estimated that BitConnect had a market capitalisation of over US$2.5
billion in December 2017,” the ASIC statement reads.
“ASIC alleges Mr Bigatton operated an unregistered managed investment scheme
known as the BitConnect Lending Platform in Australia and that he provided
unlicensed financial advice on behalf of another person in, amongst other
things, seminars he conducted at various locations around Australia.
“ASIC further alleges that during four seminars conducted by Mr Bigatton, he
made false or misleading statements which were likely to induce investors to
apply for, or acquire, interests in the BitConnect Lending Platform.”