A LAVINGTON man, who received more than $14,000 in overpayments from Centrelink, yesterday pleaded guilty to eight charges of fraud in Albury Local Court.
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Brett Haynes, 38, of Graetz Street, will be sentenced on January 31 after magistrate Tony Murray said yesterday it would be appropriate to get a pre-sentence report.
Mr Murray said a superior court ruling indicated if the money was stolen for greed rather than need, a jail term should be imposed.
Haynes was overpaid $14,482.06 between July 2010 and May last year.
He received 35 fortnightly payments under the Newstart scheme and failed to declare to Centrelink the income he was receiving from employment. Haynes received money from seven employers during that time.
He was entitled to partial payments for 17 fortnights and no payments for the other 18.
Haynes’ gross fortnightly income varied between $232.13 and $1964.89 and he under-declared the amount on five occasions.
He had falsely claimed 30 times that he had nil income.
The discovery of overpayment was triggered by a field assessor investigation.
Haynes was invited on January 11 this year to participate in a formal interview, but it did not take place.