Adam Matthew Jackson: Serial fraudster rips off his employer Gold Coast Baking Company

A convicted fraudster who served hard time for swindling $1.3m managed to land a gig as a HR manager at Molendinar after his release. It did not end well for his new employer.

Dated photo of Mermaid Beach fraudster Adam Matthew Jackson, 55. Picture: Supplied

A convicted fraudster who managed to land a HR manager gig with a Gold Coast wholesale baker after his release from custody repaid the faith by swindling his new employer, a court has heard.

Mermaid Beach man Adam Matthew Jackson, 55, appeared in Southport District Court on Thursday, July 17, where he pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment.

He was charged with fraudulently obtaining a financial benefit as an employee and attempting to fraudulently obtain a financial benefit as an employee.

The offences were committed on various dates between March 13, 2023, and May 22 last year at Molendinar while he was employed as Gold Coast Baking Company’s HR manager.

Crown prosecutor Gabrielle Cho told the court Jackson obtained the employment five months after his release on parole on August 11, 2022, following a nine-year head sentence for defrauding a previous employer, Gold Coast-based online directory LocalSearch, of more than $1.3m.

Within two months of landing his new gig, the greedy conman had already found a way to skim the cream off the top.

Ms Cho told the court Jackson used Adobe software to alter a total of 61 invoices to his employer from a commercial cleaning company, changing their hourly rate from $30 to $35, altering their bank details to his, and increasing the volume of hours billed.

He further arranged for an unknown person to verify with his employer that his own bank details were in fact those of the cleaning company.

Once he received the cash from his employer, he would then forward the correct amount to the cleaning company.

In total, his employer transferred him $387,952.24, of which $129,265.24 was retained by Jackson for his own purposes, Ms Cho said.

The court heard Jackson spent the money on personal expenses, clearing debt, and also transferred large sums to his partner, often accompanied by descriptions such as, ‘Look out, London’.

His partner was unaware the funds were ill-begotten, the court was told.

In a victim impact statement, the defrauded company said that, beyond the financial loss, Jackson’s offending sewed mistrust between employees and management, and forced a significant reallocation of resources as the matter was investigated and a criminal complaint was made.

Shockingly, this was the third employer Jackson had plundered.

In New South Wales in the late 1990s, he misappropriated about $5.2m of funds, of which all but $300,000 was repaid after his assets were liquidated.

He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with a three-year non-parole period.

And on February 12, 2021, the Southport District Court sentenced him for the aforementioned $1.3m fraud on LocalSearch, of which about $1.1m was repaid.

Jackson breached his parole for that offending not only by committing new offences, but also by not notifying Queensland Corrective Services of his new gig at Gold Coast Baking Company.

He should not even have had the gig – he was barred from accepting any role that involved the administration of finances.

Jackson has been remanded in custody since his arrest on August 27 last year, with his parole initially suspended, and now set to be cancelled.

Defence counsel Christopher Wilson told the court his client was afflicted by “pathological dishonesty,” but otherwise interacts well with the community, as evidenced by his volunteer work, his good behaviour behind bars, and the ongoing support of his partner.

“He does like to help others, just don’t put him in front of money,” Mr Wilson said.

Unlike his previous frauds, where most of the money was repaid, this would not be the case for Gold Coast Baking Company.

“The money has clearly been spent, it’s gone on credit cards and things like that, it’s just gone,” Mr Wilson said.

Judge Jodie Wooldridge KC sentenced Jackson to four years’ imprisonment, with parole eligibility set at February 26, 2026.

However, he must also serve the unexpired portion of his nine-year sentence for the LocalSearch, unless he can convince the Parole Board Queensland to take another chance on him.

If the board decides it’s a case of once bitten, twice shy, Jackson could be behind bars until the early 2030s.

Unbelievably, the court heard he has a current offer of employment, via the mother of an associate, for when he is eventually released from custody.

Originally published as Adam Matthew Jackson: Serial fraudster rips off his employer Gold Coast Baking Company