Former employee accused of defrauding Dubbo auto business of almost $300k

A 46-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to 15 offences relating to an alleged fraud scheme. Timothy James Ferris is accused of defrauding an auto parts business where he worked of nearly $300,000 over two years and two months.

Mr Ferris, who lives in Moss Vale, is accused of defrauding his former workplace, Driveline Services Australia, a Dubbo-based business that specialises in manufacturing, exporting, importing and supplying automotive parts. The charges include six counts of using a false document to obtain a financial advantage, and five counts of embezzling an employer of greater than $5,000.

Orana-Mid Western Police began investigating the misappropriation of funds from Driveline Services Australia in March 2023. Tendered court documents allege that between June and September 2022, Mr Ferris issued a fake invoice with his personal bank details listed rather than the details of the business, resulting in him obtaining $9,950.

He also allegedly pocketed $6,000 in October 2022 by issuing a fake invoice to an earthmoving company, and another $11,000 in December that year by issuing another fake invoice to a crane company. Mr Ferris is also accused of failing to enter products into the company's database, misdirecting EFTPOS payments, and cancelling existing orders.

It is alleged those actions caused his former employer to lose $203,518 due over a period of more than two years. The total amount of alleged fraud is $291,365.50, which was accumulated between January 2021 to March 2023.

Mr Ferris was arrested on Port Kembla Road in Wollongong last month and was subsequently granted conditional bail. The matter was today adjourned to Dubbo Local Court, with the next listing date scheduled for December 3. Mr Ferris is not required to appear.