The
Court of Appeal upheld sentences of 33 months imprisonment for Sydney Phillip
Thompson and Janlyn Maryanne Duzevich. Both
pleaded guilty to fraud after colluding with beneficiaries to rip-off WINZ.
Thompson and Duzevich jointly received advance
payments from WINZ of some $380,600 for goods and services they were supposedly
providing to beneficiaries. Cash
received was split with beneficiaries in the knowledge that quotes were going
in the rubbish bin and nothing would be delivered.
The court was told Thompson and Duzevich
obtained “known-provider” status with WINZ initially for the supply of second-hand
furniture and later for dental treatment and optometry services. Armed with fictitious quotations from
Thompson and Duzevich, beneficiaries would get WINZ advance approval with money
paid direct to businesses operated by the two.
Beneficiaries typically got in cash 75 per cent of the WINZ payout;
Thompson and Duzevich keeping the rest.
Quoted goods or services were not provided. Between them, the two pocketed $95,160.
WINZ recovered $59,396 from Thompson under
the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act after the sale of his home.
Thompson
& Duzevich v. R – Court of Appeal (26.04.16)
16.066