Man faces deportation after defrauding pub of $100K
An employee at Brisbane’s Calamvale Hotel has been jailed for defrauding the pub of $100,000.
Simon Te Mahia Phoenix Aramoana, was formerly employed as a security guard and general dogsbody at the pub.
He has been jailed after admitting to fleecing close to $100,000 from the business and faces near-certain deportation.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Tuesday to two counts of fraud as an employee.
The court heard that Aramoana was employed by the Calamvale Hotel over a seven-year period, initially as a security guard and then expanded his role to include maintenance jobs around the pub.
His fraudulent activity involved him making 286 false invoices on a work computer and listed his bank details as the payee’s, occurred between 8 September 2015 and 30 January, 2020.
A total of $94,285.20 was transferred to Aramoana’s account, much of which he gambled away.
When police interviewed him, Aramoana said he had a gambling problem and “thought he could get away with” the fraud.
Aramoana is a married father-of-three with a fourth child on the way and is not an Australian citizen, therefore faces near-certain deportation following his sentence.
Aramoana to four years’ imprisonment, suspended after eight months for an operational period of four years.
Irit Jackson, 18th November 2021
