Final verdicts in joint agency operation

Guilty verdicts have been handed down in a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) prosecution in the High Court at Wellington today.

Two defendants, Noelene Kay Banton (61) and Johannes Hendrik Maria Middeldorp (63) faced alternate Crimes Act charges of dishonestly reproducing documents with intent to deceive or dishonestly using documents with intent to deceive.

The charges followed a major joint enforcement agency operation with OFCANZ and the Commerce Commission which was led by the SFO. The defendants have been on trial for seven weeks.

Both defendants were found guilty of seven charges of dishonestly reproducing documents with intent to deceive. They were both acquitted on two charges.

The scam involved copying pre-existing advertisements from genuine publications and promising prospective advertisers their advertisements would be printed and distributed. The number of magazines to be circulated was grossly misrepresented. To encourage purchase, the magazines were titled in a way that suggested support of worthwhile causes such as road safety, parenting or family support. The scheme attempted to obtain more than $1 million from approximately 1,000 victims.

SFO Director, Julie Read said, “The SFO is committed to coordinating activities with those of other agencies to maximise our impact. Successful, effective prosecutions such as Operation Edit, clearly demonstrate the benefit of this approach.”

Two other defendants who have pled guilty were respectively sentenced to home detention and community work. One other defendant who pled guilty is yet to be sentenced.

Ms Banton and Mr Middeldorp will reappear for sentencing on 12 June 2015.

ENDS

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