Chelsea McCormick: Grafton woman sentenced for series of fraud offences, including pretending to be paramedic

A northern NSW mum has landed in court for a shocking string of fraud, including pretending to be a paramedic and in the SES to claim hotels.

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A Grafton mother has landed in court for a shocking string of fraud, including pretending to be an emergency services worker to claim hotel rooms.

On another occasion, Chelsea McCormick cheated a punter who must have thought she struck gold when she won thousands of dollars playing pokies at Grafton Hotel.

A large amount of money she won gambling was snatched away by McCormick.

Grafton Local Court was told McCormick booked rooms at Grafton’s Crown Hotel and City Centre apartments.

She said she was either employed by the State Emergency Service (SES), or a NSW Ambulance paramedic.

McCormick left the hotels without paying a cent.

On Monday, McCormick’s lies caught up with her when she fronted the court for sentencing.

Chelsea McCormick with her lawyer outside Grafton Local Court.

McCormick, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of failing to appear in accordance with bail.

Documents tendered to the court reveal how McCormick descended into fraud in 2022.

The first instance occurred at Grafton Crown Hotel in March, when McCormick made a booking under the premise she worked as an ambulance officer.

She conducted a similar scheme at the hotel again in April, when she booked a room for three nights and said she worked for the SES, police state in court documents.

She also booked a room at Grafton’s City Centre Apartments for three nights in April using an email address with an SES logo.

The largest amount of money came from a winning pokies ticket. Generic picture.

Then, in late August last year, a woman entered Grafton Hotel on Fitzroy St.

She won thousands, but the venue did not have enough cash on hand and the manager was given a cash out ticket to collect the next day.

The woman returned home and realised her handbag was missing, which contained “her iPhone, $1500 in cash from her first win and the two cash out tickets for $4000.76 and $1202”, the documents state.

McCormick entered the hotel and headed to the pokies room about 10:15pm the next day.

While not charged with stealing, McCormick did have the victim’s $4000.76, which she soon put to use.

She put the ticket into a pokies machine and then changed machines several times “so it is not known what amount (McCormick) walked out of the hotel with,” the documents state.

The victim contacted the hotel and spoke with a worker, who noticed McCormick had “a substantial pay out”.

Police arrested McCormick on September 28 – almost a month after she walked out of the hotel.

McCormick initially claimed in a police interview she had spotted a piece of paper when she was walking along Fitzroy St, which she realised was a cash out ticket.

She denied stealing the handbag or any knowledge of it being stolen.

In court, defence lawyer Jason Hatch said McCormick was going through a difficult time in her life and was seeking to attend a Queensland rehabilitation program.

Magistrate Juliana Crofts told the court McCormick’s dishonesty offending was “serious”.

“You do need some assistance, because without it you might end up before the courts again,” she said.

McCormick was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community correction order, with 80 hours of community service.

She must pay $4820.76 compensation.

Originally published as Chelsea McCormick: Grafton woman sentenced for series of fraud offences, including pretending to be paramedic