Former Springwood, now Cairns-based Jason Timothy Haaring, 36, sentenced on 89 charges

A prolific drug-fuelled fraudster ripped off more than half a dozen innocent people with sophisticated schemes, at times directing a female accomplice in the art of fraud from custody.

A prolific, repeated fraudster who redirected mail, opened fake accounts, took out fake loans and schooled his female accomplice from custody to steal more than $30,000 from seven victims, has walked free from court.

Former Springwood, now Cairns-based father-of-four Jason Timothy Haaring, 36, pleaded guilty to 89 charges.

Haaring was supported at Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Wednesday (June 15) by his mother.

His principal charges included 18 counts of obtaining or dealing with another entity’s identification information for the purpose of committing or facilitating the commission of an indictable offence; 10 counts of fraud; 29 counts of attempted fraud; seven counts of forgery and uttering; seven counts of uttering and six counts of possessing dangerous drugs.

The court heard the qualified mechanic was a chronic meth and GHB (also known as fantasy) abuser when between September 27, 2019 and October 27, 2020 he stole the identities of seven people.

He did so by variously procuring their driver’s licenses, tax records, Medicare cards and personal email addresses, even going so far as to redirect their postage to his residence.

Working with a female accomplice he opened fraudulent bank accounts, secured fraudulent personal loans and forged pay slips with multiple financial institutions.

Serial fraudster Jason Timothy Haaring, 36, leaves Beenleigh Magistrates Court. Picture: Marcel Baum.

According to the prosecution, their total haul came in at “just over” $30,000.

Attempts to secure “tens of thousands” more in a similar manner were declined by institutions.

The court heard the pair secured a $10,000 personal loan in the name of one victim and a $4,000 loan in the name of another.

Between October 4 to 27, 2020, Haaring secured financial data sets from an inmate and instructed his female accomplice from custody how to “skim cards”.

In this manner, they stole $12,000 from Commonwealth Bank and $4,000 from Westpac.

Haaring pleaded guilty to drug possession because he was also found with 20ml GHB and nominal amounts of cocaine and testosterone.

It came on the back of a significant and relevant criminal history.

The court heard in 2014 he defrauded a mechanic shop he was employed by of $1,700 by making fake deposits.

And he was most recently sentenced to a suspended jail sentence in May at a district court for separate offences that included supplying dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs and receiving tainted property.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rachelle Paz Landem said the defendant’s crimes were aggravated for occurring while on parole and a suspended jail sentence for similar offending.

The court heard Haaring’s offending started in 2014. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Given Haaring’s “complete and repeated disregard” for the community, the prosecution submitted that only a three-year prison sentence with a parole eligibility date would be just.

Defence barrister Liam Dollar said his client had spent 274 days in pre-sentence custody, during which he kicked a years’ long dependency on GHB and meth.

The court heard Haaring had committed no further offences since his release on March 11, 2021.

Mr Dollar said his client had since moved in with his parents in Cairns, worked full time at a service station and had invested in long-term drug counselling.

A reference letter tendered to the court from his father spoke of his “remarkable” rehabilitation.

A similar document from his current employer spruiked his work ethic and progress to a managerial position.

Haaring had further committed to volunteer work and provided evidence to the court of multiple passed drug tests.

A doctor’s report tendered described a “cautious optimism” for his rehabilitation from chronic drug abuse.

Magistrate Claire Kelly acknowledged Haaring’s “significant rehabilitation” and noted his sentence “must reflect the community’s disregard” for his offending.

Haaring was sentenced to three years’ prison wholly suspended for three years.

Ms Kelly chose not to order restitution for Haaring’s victims given his offending occurred with the help of an accomplice and his “significant” time served in pre-sentence custody.

Convictions were recorded.