Ben Valerio admits to arson in attacks linked to Melbourne’s tobacco wars, with four others charged.
A Point Cook man has pleaded guilty to multiple arson charges in connection with a series of Christmas Day firebombings linked to Melbourne’s ongoing tobacco wars.
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Ben Valerio, 37, admitted to four counts of arson in the County Court on Thursday and is scheduled for a plea hearing on December 17, where a psychological report will also be presented.
Valerio is among five men arrested earlier this year for their alleged roles in a string of arson attacks on December 25, 2023, targeting tobacco businesses. The attacks are believed to be part of a broader conflict within Melbourne’s tobacco industry.
Others arrested include Stan Zanakas, 30, from Templestowe, Nicholas Kirby, 32, from Albion, Murat Shomshe, 42, from Werribee, and Bailey Hobbs, 23, from Sunshine West.
Shomshe pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of arson and one charge of committing an offence while on bail. He will return to court on Friday for further proceedings.
The firebombings targeted four tobacco stores and a café in Altona, Altona North, Croydon, Moe, and Sunshine during December and January, with one store in Altona hit twice in two consecutive nights.
Valerio was involved in the Christmas Day arson attacks in Moe, Croydon, and Altona North, as well as a second attack in Altona on January 11, 2024.
Prosecutors allege that Zanakas was also involved in the Moe and Croydon firebombings alongside Valerio, while Kirby and Hobbs are accused of taking part in the Altona North attacks.
