MASON Thomas Webb has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining $30,000 in government grants intended for those suffering during the 2019/2020 bushfire crisis, the latest in a long line of alleged fraudsters and opportunists who took advantage of the scheme in the Hunter.
Webb, 28, of Kahibah, who in 2017 admitted to dragging a man alongside his car for about 50 metres during a robbery, pleaded guilty on Friday to three counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, relating to three grant applications he made between March and April, 2020. But Webb pleaded not guilty to three other counts of dishonestly obtaining financial benefit by deception and two counts of attempt to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception in relation to another $50,000 - $30,000 that police say he was paid and $20,000 that was knocked back.
Webb, who remains behind bars, will next appear in Belmont Local Court in March.
Strike Force Roche was established by police in the Hunter to investigate alleged fraudulent claims for bushfire disaster relief, COVID-19 and small business grants through government agencies and, so far, it appears the strike force is going to be extremely busy for some time, with more people every day being charged with defrauding the schemes.
The Newcastle Herald reported earlier this week about a number of cases, including a woman who registered fake Australian Business Numbers or used ABNs linked to legitimate businesses in order to dupe the state government into transferring her $60,000 over a nearly four-month period.
.png?w=600)
