A well-known entertainer swept up in the so-called "sting of the century" - accused of laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars for a drug importation operation - has been dealt a legal blow after a judge at the High Court at Auckland declined his bid for continued name suppression.
However, the person's name can't yet be revealed because he and three co-defendants intend to appeal the judgment.
The four defendants are among the roughly 40 people charged in New Zealand in June as part of Operation Trojan Shield, a global sting targeting alleged criminals using what they thought was an encrypted messaging app.
In reality, the app was created by the FBI and the Australian Federal Police - an attempt to get intel on criminal groups. Worldwide, more than 800 people were swept up in the sting.
The entertainer faces charges of participating in an organised criminal group and conspiracy to launder $420,000. He's set to go to trial with nine others in May 2023.