ATO fraud accused Adam Cranston allegedly used fleeced funds to pay for home renovations

EXCLUSIVE: THE man at the centre of Australia’s biggest tax conspiracy is accused of using $300K in fleeced ATO funds to pay for home renovations.

The view from a Burraneer Bay house owned by tax fraud accused Adam Cranston.

• TAX BOSS IN ALLEGED PHONECALL HELPING SON
• IT’S A MONEY TRAIL THAT SIMPLY DEFIES BELIEF

A MAN allegedly at the centre of Australia’s biggest tax conspiracy is accused of using almost $300,000 in funds fleeced from the tax office to pay for renovations to a waterfront property.

Adam Cranston allegedly also used companies and trusts associated with the scheme to buy a Hunter Valley retreat for almost $1 million and a house in Miranda.

Australian Federal Police seized the properties in their swoop on the alleged $165 million tax scam. Officers also seized an $8.75 million Vaucluse home held in the name of the wife of an accused co-conspirator.

The Miranda Rd property owned by Adam Cranston.

Cranston, 30, sister Lauren, 24, and five others have been charged with conspiring to defraud the Commonwealth through an elaborate payroll scam involving sham companies and stooge directors.

Their father, Michael Cranston, has been stood aside as Deputy Commissioner at the Australian Taxation Office and issued with a court attendance notice to face a charge of abusing his position as a public official.

He is not accused of being involved in the conspiracy.

Adam Cranston and wife Elizabeth bought the Sutherland Shire property at Burraneer Bay for $1.875 million in 2015, before they married last year. The house was run-down and Cranston last year allegedly used funds fleeced from the tax office to pay for renovations worth $283,531.

Adam Cranston pictured in Bondi while on bail after being charged in his role of allegedly defrauding the Australian Taxation Office. Picture: Toby Zerna

A house owned by tax fraud accused Jason Onley, bought in his wife's name, located in Fitzwilliam Rd, Vaucluse.

Lauren Cranston, who police allege jointly controlled payments to and from sham companies, allegedly arranged for Madden Constructions to remove the property’s address from an invoice and make out the $28,000 invoice to sham company PPA (SA) Pty Ltd.

Police also allege that last September Cranston bought a Hunter Valley retreat at Vacy for $940,000 through the company Sutherland Shire Property 2 Pty Ltd.

Inside the Onley residence in Vaucluse.

Title deeds show Cranston’s name as buyer was crossed out and replaced with the company name Sutherland Shire Property 2, the sole director of which is alleged Cranston associate Jay Sasha Kendrick. Police allege the funds to pay for the property were transferred from another sham company.

In October, accused co-conspirator Jason Onley, 47, allegedly bought in his wife’s name the property at Fitzwilliam Rd in Vaucluse.

Police allege Cranston told lawyer and co-accused Dev Menon that Onley needed about “1.1” to buy a property but Menon said there was only “500 or something” in there.

Cranston allegedly told Menon to borrow from one of the sham companies.