[Australia] Guilty verdicts in Plutus Payroll tax fraud trial

In New South Wales, Australia, a jury has found three people guilty of tax fraud for their part in the “Ben Hur” tax fraud schemes, City News reports.

On March 7, after seven weeks of deliberations, jurors found Adam Michael Cranston, Dev Menon and Jason Cornell Onley guilty for their roles in the Plutus Payroll scheme which netted more than $105 million that should have been paid to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Mr Cranston, Mr Menon and Mr Onley are on trial in the NSW Supreme Court and each reportedly faces two charges of conspiring to cause a loss to the Commonwealth and conspiring to deal with the proceeds of crime worth more than $1 million.

The jury is still considering their verdicts for two further co-accused, Lauren Cranston and Patrick Willmott, over their alleged roles in the scheme.

The trial lasted for almost nine months, through its course jurors learned that the financial services group withheld tax from the ATO using a number of second-tier companies.

The fraudulently obtained money funded lavish lifestyles including fast cars, planes and real estate.

Adam Cranston reportedly used his father Michael Cranston - deputy commissioner of the ATO at that time - to find out whether the tax office knew about their scheme, the jury heard.

All five accused individuals denied their guilt and variously pointed the blame at each other, claiming they thought the company Plutus - named after the Greek god of abundance and wealth - was a legitimate enterprise.

Source: City News

In New South Wales, Australia, a jury has found three people guilty of tax fraud for their part in the “Ben Hur” tax fraud schemes, City News reports.

On March 7, after seven weeks of deliberations, jurors found Adam Michael Cranston, Dev Menon and Jason Cornell Onley guilty for their roles in the Plutus Payroll scheme which netted more than $105 million that should have been paid to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Mr Cranston, Mr Menon and Mr Onley are on trial in the NSW Supreme Court and each reportedly faces two charges of conspiring to cause a loss to the Commonwealth and conspiring to deal with the proceeds of crime worth more than $1 million.

The jury is still considering their verdicts for two further co-accused, Lauren Cranston and Patrick Willmott, over their alleged roles in the scheme.

The trial lasted for almost nine months, through its course jurors learned that the financial services group withheld tax from the ATO using a number of second-tier companies.

The fraudulently obtained money funded lavish lifestyles including fast cars, planes and real estate.

Adam Cranston reportedly used his father Michael Cranston - deputy commissioner of the ATO at that time - to find out whether the tax office knew about their scheme, the jury heard.

All five accused individuals denied their guilt and variously pointed the blame at each other, claiming they thought the company Plutus - named after the Greek god of abundance and wealth - was a legitimate enterprise.

Source: City News