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Kiwi man fined $73,000, gets 6-month home detention for gambling fraud
A 24-year-old man from Auckland, New Zealand, Joshua Gilfedder, has been sentenced to six months of home detention after being caught attempting to fraudulently obtain $73,000 in gambling grants. He was found guilty of multiple fraud-related offences after he tried to manipulate the Aotearoa Gaming Trust’s grant application system. His actions constituted impersonation, forgery of documents, and fraud, all for the purpose of obtaining funds he was not eligible for.
How Gilfedder attempted to defraud the system
One of Gilfedder’s primary strategies was to pose as two different community organisations. This allowed him to submit multiple deceptive grant applications under different identities, increasing his chances of success. Between April and July 2023, Gilfedder submitted four applications for grant funding. Each application contained false information designed to mislead the Aotearoa Gaming Trust into awarding him money.
To make his applications appear legitimate, J.G. forged documents that falsely indicated he held management positions within the organisations he impersonated. These documents were used to validate his grant requests, but ultimately, they failed to deceive the authorities.
Investigation and charges
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) conducted an investigation following a tip-off from the Aotearoa Gaming Trust that there were suspicious applications. Their investigation revealed several instances of fraudulent activity linked to Joshua Police conducted a search warrant at J.G.’s home, where they found electronic devices with proof of his fraudulent activities.
Gilfedder faced three charges: illegal computer uses for fraudulent activities, using false records to mislead others, and manipulating documents to create a false representation.
Joshua pleaded guilty to all charges at the Auckland District Court. Due to the seriousness of his offences, he received six months’ home detention. This sanction serves both as punishment for him and as a warning to others contemplating similar fraudulent schemes.
DIA’s stand against gambling-related fraud
Vicki Scott, the DIA’s Director of Gambling, highlighted that fraud will not be tolerated. She stated that gambling grants must be protected to ensure they benefit legitimate community organisations.
Scott said, “The community grants system is integral to the class 4 (pokies) system. Deliberate attempts to manipulate that system for personal gain will not be tolerated. We aim to ensure grant funding goes to the genuine communities and organisations who need it, not into the pockets of criminals. We take the integrity of the grant process very seriously. We investigate all forms of gambling-related criminal offending, and we will continue to hold people to account where we see unlawful behaviour.”
Gilfedder’s case is not the first of its kind. Earlier this year, a 48-year-old man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands from investors in a fraudulent sports betting scheme. These incidents reinforce the need for vigilance in financial dealings.
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