Shane Douglas McNally was sentenced to four years in jail after receiving more than $82,000 in Covid support. He was sentenced on the 8th of November after pleading guilty to 68 fraud related offenses from the IRD, the Ministry of Social Development, and the police. 21 of these charges were from the IRD and involved Small Business Cashflow Scheme (SBCS) fraud.

In 2020, McNally and his co-accused Brendon Blair McBride made 21 SBCS applications under 19 separate identities, claiming that they had a viable business and had experienced a decline in revenue of more than 30%. Seven of these applications were accepted and $82,600 was paid out to the pair, the remaining 14 were declined.

The pair’s offending came to light in June 2020 when the IRD conducted an investigation, which revealed that both men were on the unemployment benefit and neither met the criteria for a SBCS loan.

In sentencing the judge, Bill Hastings, noted the fact that this happened during a time of national crisis, the premeditation of the offending, the financial gain, and the loss suffered by IRD and the Ministry of Social Development.

Brendon Blair McBride was sentenced in 2021 on SBSC fraud charges, and then again in August this year on income tax and police charges.

Source: New Zealand Herald

13/11/24