A drug trafficker and her partner, who was shot five times by police after charging at them with a knife, have been banned from providing National Disability Insurance Scheme services due to concerns over their chequered histories.
Mistee Royal and West Goehner had been operating unregistered NDIS provider Mosaic Elite Health in Lakes Entrance since July 2024, providing cooking classes, fishing trips, boxing, dancing, chair yoga, beauty therapy, art classes and physiotherapy billed to clients via their disability support packages.
Following a series of investigations by police, WorkSafe and the NDIS Commission, Royal and Goehner were hit with banning orders on March 31, preventing them from providing NDIS support for four and five years, respectively. Goehner has also been banned from owning or managing the family-run business, while Royal remains Mosaic’s CEO.
However, the couple say their pasts make them better suited to working with vulnerable clients, including those with addiction issues, and that the NDIS needs people like them.
“They went through everything so there hasn’t been a stone left unturned, unfortunately, which has been really hard for us. They’ve investigated us over a certain period, and they haven’t come back with anything in the present … it’s all related to the past,” Royal told this masthead.
“The end result is that we get to keep the business, but we have a probationary period for four years until we prove ourselves.
“I’m actually excited. In five years, I will have my checks and I can prove to the world that there is somebody that can change from that lifestyle. That will give the parents around here somebody to come to, because there are a lot of addicts in this area. They do need that person that they can say, ‘Hold on, she’s doing the right thing, she’s changed, there is reform out there’.”
Royal pleaded guilty in 2017 to leading an Albury-Wodonga drug trafficking syndicate and was jailed for two years and seven months. In October 2022, Royal avoided further jail but was heavily fined after the Albury Local Court found her guilty of assaulting and spitting at police after she was caught driving with cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in her system.
Goehner was shot five times by police after he approached officers with a knife and refused to surrender following a car crash in Albury in March 2007. He was charged with weapons and assault offences over the incident, but found not guilty due to mental impairment and instead underwent psychiatric treatment at a secure facility.
He confirmed he had since been ordered to spend additional periods in forensic mental health facilities, including in the past two to three years, over more recent incidents connected to his paranoid schizophrenia.
The couple both said they had been inspired to pursue social services while incarcerated, hoping to help people once released. Goehner said he had since undertaken seven years of study to become a level-four social worker, and he had retained his working with children clearance.
A source connected to Mosaic Elite Health, who asked not to be identified due to the confidential nature of information they had provided to authorities, told this masthead they had raised concerns about the couple with police, the NDIS and other agencies.
Victoria Police did not respond to questions about investigations into Mosaic, however Royal and Goehner confirmed their house had recently been raided by officers. They said none of those investigations had found them to have done anything wrong, and no charges had resulted.
But following its investigation, the NDIS Commission issued ban orders that took effect from 5pm on Tuesday, citing the couple’s criminal histories.
In a statement, the commission said it had considered the seriousness of the alleged breach, as well as the attitude, knowledge and actions taken by the providers, when taking action.
“Banning orders are issued for the most serious cases of non-compliance with the NDIS Code of Conduct, where a provider or worker is deemed to be unsuitable to provide supports or services to people with disability,” the commission said.
Under the terms of the ban, Royal is allowed to remain as Mosaic’s owner and CEO, though she cannot be connected to any NDIS services. Oversight for dozens of NDIS-funded programs has now been handed over to an employee, and the business renamed as Mosaic Elite Health Community Hub.
Goehner cannot be connected with any NDIS service and had to forfeit his ownership of the business, though ABN records still indicate the couple continue to have joint ownership of Mosaic, as well as a related business called “High Risk Offender”.
Mosaic’s staff include members of Royal and Goehner’s own families, including odd jobs tradesman/disability support worker Phoenix Royal, disability support worker and boxing instructor Ethan Royal, and aged care support co-ordinator Kristine Royal, none of whom have been accused of wrongdoing by the regulator.
Royal vehemently denied the business had ever been involved in unscrupulous activities and said it was being targeted by a campaign involving ex-staff and ex-clients, co-ordinated by a “disgruntled psychosocial client”.
Groehner said the allegations and rumours had devastated the couple and their business, but he was pleased police and other agencies had cleared them.
“It’s disgusting. I can’t believe they were saying that, it makes me sick to my stomach,” he said.
“I’ve done silly things when I was younger, but I was young. And I believe that social work is about people having the right to change, the ability to change, and that with the right support around them, they can change.”
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