Margaret Ann Roberts jailed over $125k Centrelink fraud

A former trainee Corrections NSW officer rorted the government of $125,000 to bankroll her gambling addiction after she lost the money ‘to pay for basic needs’.

An ex-correctional officer who earned over $300,000 defrauded the government of $125,000 in Centrelink benefits to sustain her lifestyle and gambling addiction.

On Friday, Margaret Roberts, 54, appeared in Wagga District Court where she was sentenced to a three-year jail sentence after defrauding the Commonwealth through Centrelink benefit payments that she was not entitled to, totalling $125,432.49. She pleaded guilty to the offence at any earlier court hearing.

Over six years between June 2012 and November 2018, Roberts received carer payments totalling $125,432.49 to look after her partner on a full-time basis.

Roberts was permitted to work 25 hours per week, however she worked a total of 75 hours per week meaning she was not able to provide care specified under the eligibility requirement and also she declared a nil income.

During this period, Roberts was working two jobs, earning herself a total of $342,216.42 gross from employment but only declaring $20,128.72 gross income to the government.

Margaret Ann Roberts pleaded guilty to refrauding the government.

Roberts was employed by the GEO Group as a casual trainee correctional officer as well as by Riverina Medical and Dental Co known as RivMed.

A Crown prosecutor told Wagga Wagga District Court following a data match, the ATO notified Roberts via a letter – and she did not cease the claims of her own volition.

Roberts has partially repaid the amount, about $14,162.20 which was largely involuntary repayments that started in March 2020.

Roberts lawyer, Christine Mendes, said her offences were due to a “tough upbringing.”

“Ms Roberts is a problem gambler who started using the pokies 15 years ago, she gambled away pay for basic needs, took out loans and her super,” Ms Mendes said.

Roberts had previously told the court of her struggles.

“I didn’t have money for bread and milk, yes it was wrong, very very wrong,” said Roberts.

“I’m very sorry as I have put everyone at risk, I didn’t realise that I would be taking money away from indigenous communities, I didn’t understand.”

The court heard a letter from a co-worker of Roberts.

Judge Gordon Lerve told the court, “While these factors carry a considerable weight, people fail to understand the seriousness of the offence and they tend to reoffend again and again until the amount becomes huge and unmanageable.”

“There are good prospects of rehabilitation and it appears Roberts is unlikely to reoffend,” he said.

“Having heard a lot of cases of fraud against the welfare system over the past seven months, a warning to the public is needed.

“This offset is easy to commit but difficult to detect and it is a heavy burden on taxpayers, there are heavy penalties for those who defraud the system, that's why a sentence of imprisonment is required.”

She was sentenced to a jail term of three years, with a non-parole period of 10 months and is due to be released on July 10 2022.

Roberts was fined $1000 and must repay the amount owing of $111,265.29.