Former Macarthur FC captain faces new charges over alleged yellow card bet-fixing scheme

Former Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila has been charged with five additional offences over an alleged A-League bet-fixing scheme, including directing a criminal group, with four more of the club’s matches under the scrutiny of organised crime detectives.

Davila, 33, was on Thursday charged with three counts of facilitating conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event, and one count each of engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event and knowingly/recklessly directing a criminal group assist crime.

Davila, who did not appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, is already facing four charges over the alleged scheme, which police allege was being directed by a man in South America. The new charges were filed on Tuesday.

Davila and his former Macarthur teammates, Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis, were in May last year arrested and charged over the alleged scheme. Police have claimed Baccus and Lewis were each paid up to $10,000 for taking part.

Two other former Macarthur players, Jed Drew and Matthew Millar, were named in court documents shortly after the trio was arrested but have not been charged with any offence in relation to the alleged scheme.

Police allege the new charges against Davila relate to A-League matches played against Adelaide United and Wellington Phoenix on January 8 and April 20, and in matches against Sydney FC on April 27 and May 4.

Baccus and Drew received yellow cards in two of those games. Davila, Lewis and Millar did not receive yellow cards in the matches.

Police last year laid charges over two games in 2023 – against Melbourne Victory on November 24 and a match against Sydney FC on December 9 – when they allege the conspiracy was successful.