Amit Sharma avoids jail after soliciting 18,500 names and addresses in ‘criminal enterprise’
An NDIS millionaire was labelled “a grub” by one of his former client’s relatives after he was sentenced for “a criminal enterprise” involving the leaking of 18,500 participants’ names.
A greedy NDIS provider has avoided jail for taking part in a “criminal enterprise” which involved the leaking of the names and addresses of 18,500 people on the disability scheme.
Amit Sharma, 46, a trained accountant who is now working as a travel agent, pleaded guilty to three counts of soliciting disclosure of protected agency information at an earlier hearing.
The married father-of-two, who lives in a six-bed Sydney mansion worth more than $3 million, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment to be served in the community, ordered to complete 90 hours community work and fined $1850.
Cindy Bond, whose late relative was previously in Sharma’s care, cried at the back of the court when she heard his sentence, which she labelled “a joke”.
“He gets to do his sentence in a multimillion dollar mansion,” Ms Bond said. “The $1850 fine is a joke. The man is a grub.”
Judge Nanette Williams, presiding over the sentencing at Sydney’s Parramatta District Court on Tuesday, said the offending was “planned, it was thought out, it was repeated, it was targeted”.
She said Sharma had entered a “criminal enterprise” with co-defender Leena Kumar, 50, who worked for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the organisation that runs the disability scheme, and had access to participants’ information.
Via whatsapp and Facebook messenger Sharma asked for the names and addresses of NDIS participants from specific postcodes, some of which were for a particularly vulnerable Aboriginal community, which Kumar provided.
In some of their communications Sharma requested particular postcodes, adding, “Please, these ones are important”.
Dozens of postcodes for areas across NSW and Sydney, Adelaide and South Australia and WA were requested by Sharma.
The Judge told the court Sharma had admitted he did it “for greed”.
Although no evidence was presented as to how he had benefited, she accepted it was “financially motivated”.
“He could use the information for his company’s advantage,” Judge Williams said.
Several letters from friends and acquaintances, including his GP, said Sharma was a “devoted family man” and a “pillar of the community”.
In a letter of apology, Sharma said he was filled with remorse and hoped to learn from his mistake.
He added that he had been a multicultural ambassador for the Commonwealth Games and with his wife Nikita Patel, they often made food for homeless people.
The court heard he was a low risk for re-offending.
A previous hearing heard how Ms Patel, a director of another NDIS company, also received private details of participants from Kumar, but she was not charged with any wrongdoing or offences.
All three have been permanently banned from working with NDIS participants.
Co-offender Kumar, who was charged with the use or disclosing of protected agency information without authorisation, and official abuse of public office to cause detriment, was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment, was also fined and ordered to do community work.
Highly skilled investigators from the Fraud Fusion Taskforce used digital forensics – analysing phones, laptops and other devices to isolate data, including data that had been deleted, as well as advanced data analytics tools – to gather evidence against Sharma.
NDIA acting CEO Scott McNaughton said the agency was continuously improving safeguards and privacy protections for participants.
“We have zero tolerance for any misuse of participant data and will act swiftly, like we did in this matter, against anyone who seeks to exploit participants and the scheme,” Mr McNaughton said.
Do you know more? Email julie.cross@news.com.au
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Originally published as Amit Sharma avoids jail after soliciting 18,500 names and addresses in ‘criminal enterprise’
