Tevita Ungounga charged over defective Carlingford, Stanwell Park home renovations

An unlicensed tradie allegedly stole more than $220,000 from people renovating their homes in Sydney and Wollongong, a court has heard.

Unlicensed tradie Tevita Tiliti Ungounga faces a massive list of charges after he allegedly defrauded four Carlingford and Stanwell Park homeowners by more $222,000 for unfinished and defective work to their properties, a court has heard.

The 55-year-old Moorebank man was charged with 37 offences after the Hills police began an investigation after receiving a referral from NSW Fair Trading relating to suspected fraudulent activity of an unlicensed and uninsured tradesman.

Court documents allege Mr Ungounga carried out works at the northwest Sydney and Illawarra properties between October 2020 and May 2021.

At Carlingford, Mr Ungounga allegedly targeted two neighbours at Lasburn Cres where he is accused of failing to complete works including concreting, constructing a fence, retaining walls, a driveway and patio, and repositioning a pool filter between last October and December.

He allegedly accepted $51,550 for the incomplete works at the property.

It was the same house where Mr Ungounga allegedly requested his client pay $680 towards traffic control for construction work but court documents say it was “paid to Ivan’s Butchery at Chester Hill and no traffic control was ever arranged and undertaken”.

Mr Ungounga allegedly pocketed the payment for himself.

The unlicensed tradie was charged with 37 offences (file photo).

He is also facing charges for allegedly accepting $63,500 for unfinished works at the neighbouring house where a man paid for works to retaining walls, wall, dividing fence and excavation.

Court papers allege the homeowner paid Mr Ungounga a total of $12,000 twice in November last year after the tradie told him that Parramatta Council inspected the property and issued a stop work order before instructing him to buy larger bricks to construct a retaining wall. Police allege he instead pocketed the cash for himself.

Last December, police allege he produced a false insurance certificate titled GSM Plumbing & Construction to the same Carlingford client “knowing that these documents did not belong to him’’.

The court documents allege “.. When questioned on 19 December 2020 about the bona fides of these documents, Ungounga dishonestly stated ‘They’re my uncle’s as I work for his company’ …’’

Mr Ungounga is also accused of ripping off two residents on the same street at Stanwell Park between December and May.

Court papers allege he did not complete works contracted for a pool deck and retaining walls for a woman living at Old Coast Rd.

A man living on the street allegedly forked out $85,700, for projects including building a car space, concreting, decking and replacing under-house poles but the works were allegedly incomplete.

Court documents allege the tradie told the client he would supply 21 cubic metres of concrete and bricks to his home but it was never delivered and “Tevita Tiliti Ungounga did this knowing he would dishonestly cause a financial disadvantage to (the client)”.

In total, police allege Mr Ungounga defrauded residents by $222,350.

Tevita Ungounga’s matter is due to return to Parramatta Local Court on December 15.

On October 27, Mr Ungounga was arrested at Castle Hill police station before being taken to Parramatta police station where he was charged with four counts of do residential building work when unlicensed, three counts of do residential building work without insurance as prescribed, five counts of contract to do residential building work without licence, five counts of seek residential building work when unlicensed to do same, three counts of demand/receive deposit exceeds maximum under section, three counts of demand, receive payment for building without insurance, four counts of accept payment not supply goods/services in time, publish false misleading material to obtain advantage, nine counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception and one count of publish false misleading material to obtain advantage.

He was granted conditional bail and appeared at Parramatta Local Court on November 10 when the matter was adjourned to Wednesday.

Bail was continued and the case will return to the same court on December 15.

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