Alleged sexual abuse claim farm kingpin used law firm to get fraudulent $650,000 government payout, police allege
An alleged kingpin of a fraudulent claims farming ring used a prestigious law firm to submit an allegedly fraudulent historical sexual abuse compensation claim worth more than $650,000 against the New South Wales government, a court will hear.
Fotis Frank Antonios, 54, was arrested in February and is facing 21 charges, including multiple charges of inciting people to make fraudulent claims of historical child sexual assault and dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage.
Antonios also faces a charge of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. Police will allege he made a fraudulent historical child sexual abuse compensation claim against the Department of Communities and Justice between 2020 and 2022 for alleged sexual abuse at Mount Penang Boys Home between 1987 and 1988.
Police allege the claims resulted in fees of approximately $415,000 paid to Slater and Gordon Lawyers, with a settlement of $244,303.29 paid to Antonios after legal fees, according to the court documents.
Antonios is also charged with submitting a fraudulent application for compensation to the National Redress Scheme and gaining financial compensation up to $150,000 from the government. He has been refused bail.
Police allege in court documents that Antonios received multiple payments of approximately $2,200 referrals of individuals to the law firm AJB Stevens Lawyers Sydney, after allegedly inciting people to make fraudulent statements of historical child sexual assault or abuse.
No charges have been laid against any of the law firms and police have not suggested the law firms knew the claims were allegedly false.
Charges have been laid against 10 people in relation to an alleged fraudulent 'claims farming' ring.
New South Wales and Queensland police made the arrests through Strike Force Veritas in February. Det Supt Gordon Arbinja alleged that 'claim farmers' approached former young offenders, inmates and public school students, and encouraged them to file fraudulent compensation claims for historic child sexual abuse while in care.
The claims were brought against the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and the NSW Department of Education.
Antonios and his nine co-accused will face court in Sydney on 22 May.
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