Where is Sam Ibrahim now? Inside his reclusive life in Merrylands
After spending three years in immigration detention, convicted gun runner Sam Ibrahim escaped deportation to a country he had relocated from at the age of 4. Today, the once-feared bikie boss lives a secluded life with his ailing mom. He maintains he has turned over a new leaf.
I am no longer about that life. Times have changed; I am not the man I used to be. I have not been a member of any bikie club for years.
Source: Facebook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Sam Ibrahim is the former president of the Nomads Motorcycle Club Granville chapter.
- In 2014, he was convicted of conspiracy to supply firearms.
- The Australian government cancelled his Visa in 2015 on character grounds.
Sam Ibrahim's profile summary
| Full name | Hassam Ibrahim |
| Famous as | Sam Ibrahim |
| Gender | Male |
| Year of birth | 1966 |
| Age | 59 years old (2025) |
| Birthplace | Tripoli, Lebanon |
| Current residence | Sydney, Australia |
| Nationality | Lebanese-Australian |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Karen Ibrahim |
| Children | 3 |
| Mother | Wahiba Ibrahim |
| Siblings | 5 |
Insights into Sam Ibrahim's early life and background
Sam's mom, Wahiba, single-handedly raised him and his siblings as their dad was constantly in and out of prison. She relocated the family from Lebanon to Australia when Ibrahim was young.
Sam dropped out of school early and began engaging in illegal activities to supplement the single mother's pension that his mom received to fend for the family.
Source: Original
He became the president of an outlaw motorcycle club at 31
Ibrahim was among the first Lebanese-American men to be allowed to join an Australian bikie club. In 1997, he was elected president of the Granville chapter of the Nomads Motorcycle Club. During Sam's tenure, the club became one of Sydney's most powerful criminal organisations.
However, in 2007, the group fell out due to leadership conflicts, leading to the formation of the Notorious gang. To date, the gang is reportedly involved in the distribution of substances across Sydney and Kings Cross.
Sam Ibrahim's criminal record includes kidnapping and violent crime charges
In the late 1990s, Sam faced allegations of running a substance distribution ring involving the Nomads. In addition, he was charged with kneecapping two men in 2004, but was acquitted in both cases.
Source: Getty Images
Ibrahim stayed in a maximum prison for four months in 2009 after being accused of the alleged kidnapping of a teenager. In 2014, he was arrested alongside his sister, Jazz Dior, her partner, Elvis Mileski, and ex-Rose Tattoo drummer Paul DeMarco for conspiracy to supply illegal firearms.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2018
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Judge Anthony Blackmore delivered Sam's sentence for the 2014 charge after he pleaded guilty. He faced a non-parole period of six and a half years.
In 2015, while Ibrahim was incarcerated, the then-Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton cancelled his Visa due to his extensive criminal record, per the news outlet.
This set the stage for Sam's deportation to Lebanon upon his release. However, he was granted parole in September 2020. Ibrahim was transferred from Sydney's Long Bay prison to the city's airport and surrendered to the Australian Border Force officials a month later.
They flew him to Perth, where he spent three years in detention before his release. As documented by the Daily Mail, Sam later revealed why he was not deported, saying:
The authorities told me they could not deport me because I had not had a case in court in three years.
Source: UGC
Sam Ibrahim's current whereabouts: Life after crime
Sam returned to Sydney quietly in 2023 and presently lives at his mom's fortress-like mansion in Merrylands.
During this period, he was not allowed to possess firearms, fly a plane, accept over $10,000 from anyone, or interact with mobsters. Ibrahim rarely goes outside or has visitors. He had a tracking anklet at one point, but it is unclear whether he still has it.
Keeping up with The Ibrahims: A look at Sam's family background
Ibrahim has three brothers and two sisters. Most of them have criminal records.
John: He is the family's second-born child. Although police allege he is a famous mobster, he has never been convicted of any crime.
Fadi: He was shot five times in 2009 but survived. In 2017, Fadi was arrested in Dubai for possessing illegal substances but narrowly escaped jail.
Michael: He is currently serving a 30-year sentence after pleading guilty to eight charges, including conspiracy to supply substances. In 2020, Michael reportedly threatened to kill his sister Fida via jail phone calls.
Source: Getty Images
Fida: Widely recognised as Armani Stelio, she was apprehended for kidnapping and extortion charges in 2011. Fida was later acquainted.
Maha: In 2009, she was arrested for having $2.86 million hidden in her house, which police alleged was proceeds of crime. Maha was arrested for conspiracy to supply firearms alongside her brother Sam in 2017 but avoided jail.
Wrapping up
Contrary to his past free-wheeling lifestyle, Sam Ibrahim now leads a secluded life in a suburb in Western Sydney. Despite underworld whispers that the former mobster would "live like a king" after his release due to his multi-millionaire status, he is believed to be struggling.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
