Michael Macgregor faces deportation after stealing $10k from employer

A Logan employee who fraudulently stole more than $10,000 from his furniture company employer faces risk of deportation, a court has heard

Michael Macgregor outside Beenleigh Magistrates Court

A 41-year-old family man fraudulently stole more than $10,000 from his furniture company employer over a two-year period and now faces deportation by the Australia Immigration Department.

Michael Macgregor, from Bahrs Scrub, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh District Court on November 15, 2022 to fraud as an employee from February 2014 to November 2016.

The court heard the fraud happened at FIK Propriety Limited, where he sold retail items to customers and put his own bank details on the paperwork rather than the company’s.

When Macgregor left the company in October, 2016, large amounts of money could not be located and he admitted to stealing it.

In total he took $10,070 from the business and by the time of his sentence had paid back $2,000 in restitution.

The court heard Macgregor was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 2008.

He was not an official Australian citizen, had a wife and three young children and no criminal history.

Macgregor’s defence said he expressed remorse for his actions and supplied the court with a cheque for $8,070, the remaining restitution, so he could pay the sum in total the day of his sentencing.

Judge David Kent KC was sceptical of Macgregor providing the cheque on this day.

“There’s not much utility in waiting until the day of sentence,” he said.

“You can’t buy your way out of jail.”

Mr Kent said the sentence handed down could affect Macgregor’s immigration status.

“You were in a position of trust, it’s aggravating you committed the offence against your employer.

“You’re a New Zealand citizen and therefore subject to the attention of Border Force. That circumstance is relative to sentence.”

Macgregor received a suspended 10-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay the remaining $8,070 in restitution.