He was later sentenced to 16 and a half years in prison after being convicted of serious methamphetamine dealing offences and the commercial cultivation of cannabis.
His son, Slobodan, described as Frank Milosevic’s right-hand man and brother to Lucky Boy, was convicted on similar charges and sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison.
The family home in Kawerau was subsequently seized under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 after the High Court found it was “tainted” by the family members’ criminal activity.
The law aims to confiscate the assets that criminals have built up through their illegal activity.
Real estate, vehicles, cash and even jewellery are routinely considered fair game.
A forfeiture order over the Kawerau house was issued in the court in 2022, but Lucky Boy Milosevic refused to move out.
Eventually, he was arrested and brought before Justice Dani Gardiner in the High Court at Rotorua in May this year.
Justice Gardiner released him on the same day after he gave his word that he would not return to the house.
However, by refusing to comply with the court orders over the property, Lucky Boy had committed contempt of court.
The Official Assignee, the government official who deals with criminals’ forfeited assets, believed that there should be a punishment for doing so.
That matter was referred back to the High Court to be dealt with, and a decision was made by Justice Peter Andrew last week.
As a result, Lucky Boy has been ordered to report to the High Court at Rotorua at noon on Friday, August 21, to begin a term of seven days in prison.
Because prisoners on short sentences are generally released after serving half their time, Lucky Boy’s time served will be three and a half days.
Lucky Boy’s partner, Taralee Murray, who also continued to live in the house after it was forfeited, has been ordered to do 40 hours of community work.
The history of Lucky Boy’s efforts to stay in the property is outlined in Justice Andrew’s decision.
Although the forfeiture order was made in 2022, a further court order to enforce it was not made until May 2025.
It required Milosevic, Murray and anyone else in the house to leave it and yield vacant possession to the Official Assignee.
They were also told to remove their personal possessions, including vehicles.
“Mr Milosevic and Ms Murray had been requested to leave the property on many occasions,” Justice Andrew said.
“They were served with the original assets forfeiture order, directions and a possession order.
“They failed to take any preparatory steps to pack up their possessions or vacate the property.”
On May 28 this year, multiple police units descended on Kawerau and found Milosevic, but not at the property.
He was arrested, placed in handcuffs and taken to the Rotorua police station, where he was served with two trespass notices.
Milosevic tells police, ‘Yous are trespassed’
He responded by telling the police: “Yous are trespassed.”
Police then went to the family home to find a large group of “gang members and associates” gathered around the address and on both sides of the road.
“The group were hostile and verbally abusive to staff deployed at the address,” Justice Andrew said.
“At the time there were movers present at the property for the purpose of moving Mr Milosevic and Ms Murray’s belongings ….
“The police worked together to create a safety buffer at the front of the address, so as to allow court staff and tradesmen to carry out their tasks safely.”
When Milosevic appeared in the High Court at Rotorua later that day, he gave a verbal undertaking that he would not go back to the house if he was released.
He also agreed to ask his supporters at the property to leave.
He was told that if he was arrested again, he could face up to six months in prison or a fine of $25,000.
The group at the house remained there for most of the day and police said the tone was “hostile and abusive”. One person was arrested for obstruction.
However, Murray was co-operative and, after the last of the couple’s belongings had been taken to a storage facility, the protesters dispersed.
Police guarded the house that night and the following morning, then handed it over to a real estate agent acting on behalf of its new owner.
Property records online show that it had been sold late last year, for $125,000.
There have been no further incidents or “concerning activity” around the house, and Justice Andrew said that Milosevic had stayed away from it since his court appearance in May.
However, Justice Andrew said that the requirements for a finding under the Contempt of Court Act had been met.
“The breaches here were serious, and there was undoubtedly an element of public defiance.”
He ordered the sanction of the seven-day term of imprisonment on Milosevic.
“I note the release date for that sentence will be after Mr Milosevic has served 3.5 days,” Justice Andrew said.
Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of frontline experience as a probation officer.
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