Ryan Charlton defrauded $76K through Condor Real Estate to fund gambling
He defrauded tens of thousands of dollars from people through his north-west Sydney real estate business to fund a debilitating gambling habit. But now the young man has learnt his fate in court.
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A Baulkham Hills man who defrauded people tens of thousands of dollars through his real estate business to fund a gambling habit was sentenced on Thursday at Parramatta Local court.
Ryan Charlton, 28, pleaded guilty to fraudulently converting money and carrying out as an agent without a licence.
According to documents tendered to the court from June 2017 to April 2018, Charlton fraudulently converted around $76,000 to fund his gambling habit and support his real estate business.
Charlton was the sole director and shareholder of Condor Real Estate, which offered management services to landlords of residential premises.
The court heard that Fair Trading investigators attended Charlton’s office in Ermington in April 2018 which, at the time, was his home address.
During the meeting Charlton admitted he had “problems with balancing the trust account and that he had a gambling problem, namely gaming machines”.
During that meeting it became clear he was “juggling accounts by transferring money between the trust account and his general business account until there wasn’t enough money to go around which eventually caused him to stop paying landlords and utilities”.
A remorseful Charlton appeared before Magistrate Peter Feather wearing a crisp white shirt and blazer.
The court heard Charlton had cooperated fully with authorities and was now employed with the Uniting Church and had a young family.
Magistrate Feather said Charlton was seen to have good prospects of rehabilitation, but said because there were multiple victims the “community eventually pays” with these types of crimes.
Mr Feather urged him to keep his gambling addiction in check.
“You have a gambling addiction, it doesn‘t go away, you have to address it,” he said.
Charlton was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, to be served from home by way of an intensive corrections order, which included 220 hours of community service.
He will also be required to continue to see a psychologist and to abstain from any drugs unless they are prescribed to him.