News and Media Releases

On 26 May 2017, 29-year-old Melissa Jade Higgins was sentenced by the New South Wales District Court to 7 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 4 years for fraudulently claiming $3,646,269.72 in child care benefits, forging documents and dealing with the proceeds of crime. 

It the largest single case of proven childcare fraud in Australia’s history.

The Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is warning members of the community to beware of scam callers claiming to be from the CDPP.

Concerned members of the community have reported scam callers are threatening legal action in relation to tax fraud as a means of coaxing them into handing over personal details or money.

On 17 March 2017, Khoder El Ali was sentenced by the District Court of NSW in Sydney to just over 17 years’ imprisonment for state and federal firearms offences. 

A 41 year old man, Kritsakul Thavapitak was sentenced in the New South Wales District Court to two years imprisonment following his part in a refund fraud syndicate that used identity crime to impersonate tax payers and lodge fraudulent refund claims. The matter was investigated by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) culminating in money laundering charges.

Mr Hamdi Alqudsi was today sentenced to eight years imprisonment with a non-parole period of six years for assisting seven men in their efforts to travel to Syria to in order to join the armed conflict taking place there.

Former banker, 30-year-old Oliver Curtis was today sentenced to two years imprisonment after being found guilty by a Supreme Court jury earlier this month of conspiring to commit insider trading with his former best friend, John Hartman.

Two men have been convicted of serious tax offences following successful investigations under the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT).

Members of an international drug syndicate were yesterday sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court to lengthy prison sentences for conspiring with each other to import and traffic a commercial quantity of a bordered controlled drug—cocaine.

Iranian national, 39-year-old Mahmood Rajabizadeh was today sentenced to a total effective sentence of 9 years and 6 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 7 years for possessing a marketable quantity of illicit drugs—heroin and methamphetamine. Rajabizadeh was found guilty to three drug-related offences after a five-day trial between 5 – 9 October 2015.

----------

Perth man, 43-year-old Adam John Bennett was today sentenced to a two year term of imprisonment to be released forthwith on a recognizance release order to be of good behaviour for 2 years and also a 2 year intensive supervision order with a condition that he complete 200 hours of community service for his role in aiding a juvenile to hack various websites on 5 November 2012 and also in relatio

• The matter of the death of Mr Andrew John Witton was referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) in June 2010. 

A 30-year-old Canberra man, Joshua Ferguson was yesterday sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, to serve 5 months in custody, for child exploitation offences.   Ferguson was sentenced in relation to offences for accessing, transmitting and possessing child pornography material.