Post by Banker on Mar 22, 2012 15:35:49 GMT 7
An illegal immigrant who used the names of dead children to defraud Centrelink of more than $75,000 has been jailed for 18 months.
Robert Hauke, 49, used the children's identities to submit forms to Centrelink offices in Western Australia and Victoria to claim the Newstart Allowance, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Thursday.
Prosecutor Brett Stevens said the three children were born in the early 1960s and died between 1961 and 1969.
Hauke obtained $75,984 between November 2009 and November 2011, Mr Stevens said.
He said that in April 2011 Hauke tried to use the name of another child to obtain the Newstart Allowance from a Centrelink office, but was rejected.
The offending was detected as a result of data matching in November 2011, Mr Stevens said.
Hauke pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining property by deception and a single count of attempting to obtain property by deception.
His lawyer Andrew Halphen conceded his client's offending was serious.
He said Hauke, a dual Polish and German citizen, faced being deported to one of those nations.
But he said Hauke, who came to Australia in 2007, had not lived in either country for more than 20 years.
Mr Stevens said Hauke had been unlawfully in Australia for much of the period of his offending.
Magistrate Angela Bolger said there was a high degree of planning and a high degree of dishonesty involved.
"There is no realistic prospect that these monies will ever be recovered and (they) will be forever lost to the Commonwealth," she said.
Ms Bolger jailed Hauke for 18 months and ordered that he be freed on a recognisance release order, which is similar to a suspended sentence, after 12 months.
Hauke, formerly of Langwarrin, has already spent 99 days in custody.
goo.gl/VH0JH
Robert Hauke, 49, used the children's identities to submit forms to Centrelink offices in Western Australia and Victoria to claim the Newstart Allowance, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Thursday.
Prosecutor Brett Stevens said the three children were born in the early 1960s and died between 1961 and 1969.
Hauke obtained $75,984 between November 2009 and November 2011, Mr Stevens said.
He said that in April 2011 Hauke tried to use the name of another child to obtain the Newstart Allowance from a Centrelink office, but was rejected.
The offending was detected as a result of data matching in November 2011, Mr Stevens said.
Hauke pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining property by deception and a single count of attempting to obtain property by deception.
His lawyer Andrew Halphen conceded his client's offending was serious.
He said Hauke, a dual Polish and German citizen, faced being deported to one of those nations.
But he said Hauke, who came to Australia in 2007, had not lived in either country for more than 20 years.
Mr Stevens said Hauke had been unlawfully in Australia for much of the period of his offending.
Magistrate Angela Bolger said there was a high degree of planning and a high degree of dishonesty involved.
"There is no realistic prospect that these monies will ever be recovered and (they) will be forever lost to the Commonwealth," she said.
Ms Bolger jailed Hauke for 18 months and ordered that he be freed on a recognisance release order, which is similar to a suspended sentence, after 12 months.
Hauke, formerly of Langwarrin, has already spent 99 days in custody.
goo.gl/VH0JH
