Mason Webb sentenced to jail over fraudulent bushfire grant claims

A court heard it was “just too tempting” for a Kahibah man who stole $60,000 from the NSW Government in bushfire relief grants.

A Kahibah man was “clouded by drugs” when he made the decision to fraudulently claim tens of thousands of dollars from the NSW Government, a court heard.

Mason Thomas Webb, 28, pleaded guilty to claiming $60,000 from Service NSW for bushfire relief funds, and attempting to access another $20,000 in emergency payments he wasn’t entitled to.

At Belmont Local Court on Tuesday, Webb’s solicitor Matthew Unwin said it was a “fairly unsophisticated offence” and was “just too easy” for his client to obtain the money.

Mr Unwin told the court his client used autofill, and there was limited security, and ease of access online.

Webb defrauded the bushfire grants scheme set up to help residents like these who defended a property from a bushfire at Hillsville near Taree, 350km north of Sydney on November 12, 2019. Picture: Peter Parks

Although not excusing his behaviour, Mr Unwin said Webb didn’t realise the seriousness of his offending and his judgement was marred by significant drug use.

“Ultimately once he got caught, he thought it would just be a tax bill to repay,” Mr Unwin said.

“It was just too tempting.”

Court documents revealed Webb applied for eight grants in total between March and May last year, under cleaning service businesses in Port Macquarie.

He used two email addresses and two bank accounts and several names besides his own.

Police facts claimed his application stated he was running businesses that had suffered direct damage from the bushfire disaster and was intending on re-establishing those businesses in the same communities.

But the big amounts flagged an alert and Strike Force Roche — set up to investigate alleged fraudulent claims against Service NSW —arrested Webb in January.

Webb took advantage of the Service NSW grants

Directed at the 28-year-old via video link from Junee Correctional Centre, Magistrate Michael Morahan said it was a “pretty low act”.

“You come along and try and cash in on their misery, all those have lost their homes,” he said.

“I am mindful of your problems in the past but there is no reason for this offending.”

He sentenced Webb to 12 months jail with a non-parole period of nine months, and ordered $60,000 be paid back to Service NSW in compensation.

In addition, Webb also faced further jail time for a number of other offences including drug supply and possession, as well as a fraud in 2016 which involved selling shipping containers on Gumtree.

Court documents said he was caught in December last year trying to deliver drugs to an inmate at Wellington Correctional Centre.

Webb was sentenced at Belmont Local Court. Picture: Emily Burley

Police facts said they were monitoring phone calls from an inmate who had asked Webb to bring drugs on his release date, but when he and his girlfriend arrived, they were searched by correctional officers.

Three small plastic bags of meth —  totalling more than 25 grams — were uncovered before they were both arrested.

He received an additional seven months behind bars.

Webb was jailed for scamming a fund set up to help bushfire victims.

EARLIER

Man caught in $30k bushfire scam

By Emily Burley on January 29, 2021

A Kahibah man who was not eligible for bushfire relief funds has admitted to claiming $30,000 in grants from the NSW Government.

But he denies accessing, or attempting to access, a further $50,000 in emergency payments.

Mason Thomas Webb did not appear in Belmont Local Court on Friday, despite being escorted more than four hours to the courthouse from Wellington Correctional Centre, where he remains on remand for other offences.

Instead the 28-year-old’s lawyer entered pleas on his behalf.

Webb pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, after applying for three grants via the Service NSW website between March 25, 2020 and April 28, 2020.

Court documents revealed each of the applications saw $10,000 deposited into Webb’s Commonwealth Bank account.

Mason Thomas Webb claimed to be affected by bushfires to access $30,000 in State Government grants. Picture: David Nielsen.

But he pleaded not guilty to three more of the same charges, and two counts of attempting to obtain financial disadvantage by deception, between April 17, 2020 and May 5, 2020.

In court documents, police allege Webb successfully claimed another $30,000 from Service NSW, which was paid into his Bendigo Bank account, but was deemed ineligible for two final claims, totalling $20,000.

Webb was charged by officers from the Lake Macquarie-based Strike Force Roche, set up to investigate bushfire and COVID relief funds fraud.

He did not apply for bail on Friday and it was formally refused by Magistrate Rodney Brender.

Court documents showed Webb had last year pleaded guilty to an October 2016 fraud involving buy and sell website Gumtree.

The documents revealed he had rented a shipping container from a Hunter Valley business for $460, which he then sold online in a set of two for $1750.

Police said Webb had the first container, which he did not own, delivered to a Gateshead buyer, but failed to deliver the second container.

The buyer reported the matter to police after he was unable to contact Webb about the second missing container.

Webb will return to court for sentencing on March 10.