Maria Melo: Grantville woman busted obtaining financial advantage by deception
A Grantville mum wrongfully claimed more than $30,000 in benefits in what the magistrate described as a crime against the community.
Bass Coast News
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A Grantville welfare fraudster wrongfully claimed more than $30,000 in benefits over a five-year period.
Maria Melo, 47, pleaded guilty at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on August 18 to two charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
The court heard Melo failed to correctly declare her income to Services Australia between December 11, 2012 and August 14, 2017.
Melo had received social security benefits from 2010 and at the time of her offending was receiving payments for being a single parent.
The woman was employed as a sales assistance on a casual basis at Endeavour Petroleum and Grantville Licenced Grocery Store.
She under declared and failed to declare her income on multiple occasions.
Melo was entitled to $35,094.33 but was paid $66,169.49 meaning she received $31,075.16 more than what she should have.
But she was caught out by a data-match with the Australian Taxation Office on September 29, 2015 and a letter was sent to Melo the next day.
Melo’s lawyer Jelena Adamovic said the matter “weighed heavily” on the mum-of-four who migrated from Uruguay when she was six-months old.
Ms Adamovic said Melo’s relationship with the father of her three children broke down after 15 years because of violence and abuse.
Ms Adamovic said Melo suffered from health issues including anaemia.
Magistrate Jacinta Studham said the woman was remorseful but the offending was “against the community as a whole”.
“In my view, it’s right that a punishment should be on the basis of community benefits,” she said.
“It will be difficult for [her] to comply with the order however that’s the consequences of her behaviour.”
Melo was convicted and given a community corrections for a period of 12 months.
A reparation order of $21,281.14 was also sought.
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