A Sydney man has been accused of using his three-year-old son’s accidental death to defraud several people out of at least $1 million.
Addressing the media this afternoon, NSW Police explained that in 2003 the man’s son died in an accident at Burwood shopping centre before he began a lawsuit against the centre.
Police allege the man then reached out to people he knew and asked for funds to help cover the lawsuit.
In 2007, the suit was settled, and the now 68-year-old man was granted a $400k payout.
However, police allege the people who gave the man money for legal fees never got any money back.
Detectives further allege the cash was obtained under “false pretenses”.
“Instead of refunding the victims, he kept the money and didn’t give them anything back, instead, he asked for more,” Detective Chief Superintendent Christine McDonald said.
Police allege that in 2016 he told the victims he needed more money to continue with the suit, and said that although it had been settled, the money was stuck in a trust fund for his other son.
Police allege he then continued to defraud them.
“This is such an act of betrayal; these victims believe they were helping a grieving father, someone they knew, someone they trusted… He broke that trust,” McDonald said.
“The victims truly believed that they were helping to person of interest with a lawsuit… from what we know, he has gambled a lot of the money.”
Police allege he amassed $1.3 million over eight years, with police asking the public to come forward with information as there may be more people who suffered losses.
The 68-year-old was arrested during a search warrant at a unit on East Street in Five Dock today.
He was taken to Burwood police station, where he was charged with three counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
