A Wellington man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison on 55 charges, including tax fraud, after pocketing $62,600 from fraudulent loan applications.
Bradley John Croft appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court on September 25 on 55 charges brought by Inland Revenue, the police, and the Ministry of Social Development.
Croft was charged by IR with tax fraud between May and August 2020.
Over the four-month period, Croft submitted 12 Small Business Cashflow Scheme loan applications knowing he nor the loans’ intended recipients were entitled to them, IR said.
He also filed four fraudulent GST returns, as well as false amendments to five personal income tax returns and a Donation Tax Credit claim.
Croft was knowingly ineligible for the refunds and claims.
In mid-2021, he filed a further four fraudulent income tax returns, despite knowing he nor the people whose IRD numbers were used were not entitled to them.
In all, Croft came away with $62,600 from the SBCS loans, which was used for “personal discretionary spending”, IR said.
He also unsuccessfully attempted to collect a further $157,939.28 in SBCS, DTC, GST and income tax refunds.
After taking into account Croft’s guilty plea, attempts at reparation, remorse, and time spent on electronically monitored bail, the judge sentenced him to three years and three months’ imprisonment.
