Two women who scammed almost $20,000 out of Micro Business Support Grants were told in court that their actions have impacted flood-affected people in need of support payments.
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Magistrate David Day sentenced Korinne Anne West, 33, and Veronica Ann Frail, 57, both from Glenroi, for separate incidents, in Orange Local Court.
Mr Day said fraudulent applications for various disaster relief and support payments have led to Services NSW spending more time vetting applications, slowing down the process for people who are in desperate need for assistance.
"Just because the cookie jar is there, there's no need to put your hand in it," Mr Day told West.
"These funds are reserved for people who have genuine need.
"They now spend a sheer [amount of time] time vetting applications denying payments,
"The last couple of years has demonstrated to the community that all these people want to take the government's money."
Mr Day said even non-government organisations such as the Red Cross were targeted by people wanting to rip them off.
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He gave West a seven-month custodial sentence by way of an Intensive Correction Order, for using dishonesty to obtain $10,500.
She will also have to complete 30 hours of community service and pay a $10,500 reparation to the NSW government. West made the application on October 2, 2021, of the amount received, $5176 was transferred to another of her bank accounts.
She also withdrew $4355 as cash and $640 was transferred to an associate.
West also spent $260 on children's school shoes and $70 was spent on Menu Log.
All the funds were gone by October 10 and West had $1.83 left in one of her bank accounts and the other contained $9.51.
These funds are reserved for people who have genuine need.
- Magistrate David Day
West told police the application was made on her phone by another person and she paid that person half the money in cash.
Mr Day said West obtained about a sixth of the average pay in Australia in "one fell swoop". He said some people in Orange work very hard to earn $30,000, or work three or four jobs to take home $40,000 where as West used deception to obtain the money in minutes.
Frail will have to repay the $9000 she obtained to the NSW government and she was given a nine-month ICO and 50 hours of community service for dishonestly obtaining financial advantage.
She was also given an 18-month Community Correction Order and 30 hours of community service for making a false or misleading statement in which she declared that her business had suffered a decline in income of almost 50 per cent since June 10, 2021.
Frail also claimed another person made the application on her phone for her.
Solicitor Katarina Duncan said Frail used the $9000 she obtained to start a cleaning business.
Frail also told the police she intended to start such a business and bought a vehicle for $4500 that she intended to use for the vehicle.
However, a statement from the police submitted to the court said she had not worked a day as a cleaner. All her funds were also spent.
Mr Day said the offences were not "her style" and she hadn't come under police notice for many years.
"I'm satisfied she's not the criminal genius behind this," he said. "There appears to be one or two people in this community disseminating a how-to book."
Mr Day said Frail's early guilty plea was a mitigating factor and saved her from going to full-time jail.
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