Unlicensed tradie Tevita Tiliti Ungounga fronts court
An unlicensed tradie with “a history longer than religion” has fronted court after allegedly stealing more than $200K from Sydney and Wollongong residents.
Hills Shire
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Unlicensed tradie Tevita Tiliti Ungounga, who allegedly stole more than $220,000 from Sydney and Wollongong residents while renovating their homes, has fronted Parramatta Local Court where a hearing date was set for next year.
The 55 year old was hit with a long list of charges after allegedly defrauding four Carlingford and Stanwell Park homeowners for faulty and defective work to their properties between October 2020 and May 2021.
The Moorebank man was charged with 37 offences after Hills police received a referral from NSW Fair Trading relating to suspected fraudulent activity of an unlicensed and uninsured tradesman.
At Carlingford, Mr Ungounga is accused of failing to complete works including concreting, constructing a fence, retaining walls, a driveway and patio, and repositioning a pool filter on two properties at Lasburn Cres. He allegedly accepted $51,550 for incomplete works at one house.
At one house in the northwestern Sydney suburb, 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.
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, a dividing fence and excavation.
Last December, police allege Mr Ungounga produced a false insurance certificate titled GSM Plumbing Construction to the same Carlingford client “knowing that these documents did not belong to him’’.
Mr Ungounga is also accused of ripping off two residents on the same street at Stanwell Park between December 2020 and May 2021.
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 same 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.
In total, police allege Mr Ungounga defrauded residents by $222,350.
He was arrested last October and charged with multiple offences including five counts of contract to do residential building work without licence and nine counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.
At court on Wednesday, registrar Paul Gardiner told the court: “This is a history longer than religion. What are you doing with it?’’
Prosecutor John Marsh responded that the matter would go to a hearing to last two days.
The hearing was scheduled for April 27 and 28.
Mr Ungounga, who has entered not guilty pleas, requested a Tongan interpreter to be organised.
His bail was continued.
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