A woman accused of fraudulently receiving more than $100,000 worth of COVID-19 and bushfire relief grants from the NSW government - and allegedly trying to obtain almost $250,000 more - has pleaded not guilty.
Ellen Louise Howard faced Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday on 16 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges before Magistrate Andrew Miller adjourned the matter to December 23.
Ms Howard did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
She was arrested by Hunter Valley Police District detectives at Aberdare on November 27 as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged grant fraud being conducted a across northern NSW by Strike Force Roche.
Police allege the Hunter woman fraudulently applied for 34 COVID-19 and bushfire relief grants from the government between March and September this year, obtaining 11 that were worth $104,000. Investigators also allege she tried to fraudulently obtain another $258,000 worth of grant money.
Strike Force Roche was set up in April across the NSW Police Northern Region - which stretches from the Central Coast to the Queensland border - to target fraudulent claims for bushfire and COVID-19 relief funds.
Several people have been charged so far across the Hunter as part of the operation. Investigations are ongoing across the region, with police saying recently more arrests were expected in the coming weeks.
Lake Macquarie crime manager Detective Inspector Steve Benson told the Newcastle Herald last week that investigators in his district alone were looking at 12 more persons of interest on top of the eight they had already charged.
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