Gareth James Bryant sentenced to three years prison for fraud

A notorious Western Sydney tradie has been thrown behind bars for fraudulently contracting building work with fake documents, costing his victims hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A notorious Western Sydney tradie has been thrown behind bars for fraudulently contracting building work with fake documents, costing his victims hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Gareth James Bryant was sentenced to three years prison with an 18-month non-parole period at Penrith Local Court in May after pleading guilty to four counts of fraud.

It comes after an investigation found Bryant defrauded 26 victims out of about $200,000 while he operated four separate companies between 2021 and 2023.

While unlicensed, Bryant would respond to advertisements for residential building work, took excessive deposits, did not start or complete the work and refused to provide refunds or compensation for his dodgy jobs.

The investigation found Bryant also deceived customers about his legitimacy as a tradesperson by using fake documents and license numbers that were not his.

During his scamming spree, Bryant worked across Sydney and the Central Coast from Glebe to Blacktown and Ourimbah under his many dodgy businesses, known as Bycon Group Constructions, Pure Lifestyle Renovations, Outbuild Constructions and Forever Green Landscapes and Constructions.

The sentence comes after a long investigation into Bryant's businesses. Picture: Facebook.

He tried to appeal his sentence on June 20, but it was dismissed.

Building Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said Bryant was finally brought to justice thanks to a joint investigation between Building Commission NSW, NSW Fair Trading, and NSW Police, as he issued a stern warning for other culprits.

NSW Fair Trading had previously warned consumers against dealing with Gareth James Bryant. Picture: NSW Fair Trading

“This case serves as a reminder to those thinking about fraudulently contracting for residential building work – if you do the wrong thing – you could end up in jail,” he said.

Acting NSW Building Commissioner Matt Press echoed the warning.

“Anyone thinking about contracting for residential building work while unlicensed or providing false documents should remember this case and think twice about committing these types of offences,” he said.

Originally published as Gareth James Bryant sentenced to three years prison for fraud