Judge shows 'mercy' to couple who used fake law firm to scam insurance company of $17m

A Melbourne judge has shown mercy to a couple who scammed $17 million from the woman's employer, giving them lesser jail terms because of their two young daughters.The couple sent 428 false invoices for legal fees to insurance underwriter Dual, where Josie Gonzalez workedThe judge acknowledged the couple's imprisonment would be difficult for their two daughters, aged six and 11

Josie Gonzalez, 45, has been sentenced to 9-and-a-half years in prison for being the"mastermind" of a scheme which defrauded her employer, insurance underwriter Dual, over a period of more than two years.The amounts of the invoices increased as time went on and totalled just over $17.4 million. Ms Gonzalez was the national claims manager at Dual and forwarded the fake invoices to the accounts department with instructions on how to process them, with the aim of covering up the fraud, the court was told.The scam began not long after Ms Gonzalez started working at the firm in late 2010, when Alvaro Gonzalez set up a legal firm called Jaag Lawyers which the court heard was"a law firm in name only".

Judge Lacava said the fact both Josie and Alvaro Gonzalez were lawyers was an aggravating factor in their"prolonged" offending.They spent almost $470,000 on"living expenses" from May 2011 to June 2013, the judge told the court.The couple repaid the money after Dual mounted civil action. "The money was not paid with regret, nor an apology for your actions," Judge Lacava told Ms Gonzalez in sentencing.An employee thought the invoices were suspicious and did a check on Jaag and found the Gonzalezes as the company directors.

still don't understand how it works

Good to finally see a ‘white collar crime’ punished with a decent sentence.

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Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »