The sentencing on Friday of Auckland former chartered accountant and former tax agent Howard Kane Taylor takes the tally of IRD and Serious Fraud Office Covid-19 support payment fraud convictions to seven.
Taylor was sentenced to six months community detention and 120 hours community work for making fraudulent Small Business Cashflow Scheme (SBCS) claims bringing him nearly $95,000.
He has repaid all the money disbursed.
Another tax agent (at the time), Samantha Paul, was sentenced in July to 11 months home detention after receiving $47,000 under the SBCS.
The most serious offending prosecuted to date has been that of Hun Min Im, who faced 91 charges laid by the SFO relating to applications worth $2.3 million made to the SBCS and the Resurgence Support Payment (RSP), Covid-19 Support Payment (CSP), and Wage Subsidy (WSS) Schemes.
He received $624,000.
Im in May pleaded guilty to 54 charges and will be sentenced on 26 August.
Emma Jane Dentice in June received a sentence of six months home detention. Her fraudulent claims under the SBCS brought her $11,800, while claims under the RSP and CSP schemes were unsucessful.
Her associate Jason Gray was sentenced in May to 20 months in prison after receiving nearly $14,000 from fraudulent claims.
Shane Douglas McNally was jailed for three years 11 months after facing 68 charges, 21 brought by IRD and involving the SBCS. He applied for $224,000 of payments and received $82,600.
The other charges were Ministry of Social Development (MSD) fraud charges and police charges.
McNally's associate Brendon Blair McBride pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 months home detention.
4 Comments
$19.6 billion paid out.
7 convictions.
$874,000.
Gosh we are an honest bunch.
Yes the cynic in me suggests that the powers that be would never want to fully disclose the amount of rorts that went on when Grant Robertson turned the fire hose on with tax payer money.
Easier to just cherry pick a few cases and pretend that all went well.
When we all know it didn't.
How come someone got jail time for $14000 of fraud, while someone else got community detention for $95000?
In Taylor's case. "The judge allowed discounts on his sentence for his charity work, repaying the loans and because of his poor health." (IRD release).
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.