Tyron Lane jailed for fraudulently claiming $155K in bushfire relief funds
The Hunter man made 13 separate applications for bushfire relief funds via the Service NSW website between April and September last year, paid into his Commonwealth bank account.
Newcastle
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A heavily tattooed Hunter man with the word ‘Omerta’ on his face - which means code of silence - has been jailed for three years for fraudulently receiving bushfire relief funds.
Tyron Lane, 30, who was arrested at his Dungog home in July after he came to the attention of police investigating alleged bushfire and Covid scammers.
Court document stated he stole $30,000 from Service NSW when he applied for bushfire money and had attempted to apply for a further $125,000 he wasn’t entitled to.
Lane made 13 separate applications for bushfire relief funds via the Service NSW website between April and September last year, which were paid into a Commonwealth bank account in his name.
He unsuccessfully applied for a further 10 payments – nine worth $10,000 each and one worth $35,000.
Lane pleaded guilty to four counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and 11 counts of attempted dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
In Maitland Local Court Lane was sentenced to three years jail with a non-parole period of 22 months, and will be eligible for release in May 2023.
The Lake Macquarie-based Strike Force Roche was set up last year to investigate the growing number of bushfire and Covid grant frauds across the northern police region.
It’s been revealed close to $20 million had been handed out to alleged fraudsters accessing government relief payments.
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