ANDY JACKSON/STUFF
A South Taranaki man will be sentenced in the Hāwera District Court in November after pleading guilty to making dishonest applications to get payments through the Government’s Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme. (File Photo)
A Taranaki beneficiary posed as a business owner in a repeat scam to claim more than $50,000 from the Government’s Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme, squandering the money within weeks, partly through online gambling.
Logan James Cochrane listed his mates as employees and, between March and September 2020, dishonestly made 34 applications for a slice of taxpayer-funded support meant to keep workers financially afloat during the lockdown.
Ten of his claims were successful, and before his rip-off was realised, Cochrane was paid $50,378
Some applications Cochrane made listed him as a sole trader, while he referred to himself as a business owner in others, naming himself, friends and associates as employees.
READ MORE:
* What the Covid wage subsidy got right and wrong, and how it could’ve been better
* Tax obligations for businesses claiming Covid-19 support
* All you need to know about the Resurgence Wage Subsidy and other Government support
Iain McGregor/Stuff
The money which flowed into Logan Cochrane’s account, went out just as fast, according to the summary of facts.
In his applications, Cochrane used the tax details of South Taranaki Scaffolding Limited, of which he used to be a director.
His involvement ended in October 2018, although he…