Former Gippsland livestock agent pleads guilty to fraud charges

A former Gippsland livestock agent has pleaded guilty to three charges, but will face the County Court next month to defend a separate charge. See the details.

Former livestock agent Nathan Gibbon pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and a further charge of dishonestly undertaking the retention of goods, or arranging to do so believing the goods to be stolen. Picture: Zoe Phillips

A former Gippsland livestock agent has pleaded guilty to three fraud-related charges, but will appear in the County Court next month to defend a separate charge.

Lardner man Nathan Gibbon faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception, related to accusations of falsely representing invoices as well as National Vendor Declarations as genuine documents to two different companies in November 2018 and August 2019.

Mr Gibbon also pleaded guilty to a further charge of dishonestly undertaking the retention of goods, or arranging to do so believing the goods to be stolen in July 2022.

A summary of the offences was not heard in court.

Initially, Mr Gibbon had faced six charges laid by the Financial Crimes Squad, but two of the charges were withdrawn on Monday. The sixth charge had previously been withdrawn, the court heard.

Mr Gibbon and Balwyn North man Adam McMahon pleaded not guilty to one charge each of conspiring to defraud the Australian Taxation Office, laid by the Commonwealth last year.

Former Gippsland livestock agent Nathan Gibbon. Picture: File

Both men faced a committal hearing this week where Magistrate Donna Bakos considered if there was enough evidence to take the matter to trial.

Former Nathan Gibbon Livestock Pty Ltd office worker Karen Fry and Victoria Police informant Ben Fraser were cross examined before the court, while Commonwealth prosecutors argued both the accused conspired to defraud the Australian Taxation Office by Mr Gibbon receiving $272,360 into a bank account and providing a false invoice to assist Mr McMahon in avoiding payment of capital gains tax, following the sale of a Doncaster residential property.

The court heard Mr Gibbon and Mr McMahon spoke about the transfer in June 2022, with the Commonwealth arguing Mr McMahon intended to “park” the money in an account until the new financial year.

Defence counsel for Mr McMahon argued the Commonwealths’ case was “weak” and that Mr McMahon genuinely wanted to purchase cattle and other farming infrastructure for a recently purchased farm near Trafalgar.

Magistrate Bakos ruled there was enough evidence for a trial to proceed, committing both men to stand trial in the County Court, with a directions hearing scheduled for Tuesday, October 1.