Aussie man charged with fraud, child indecency in US

Australian fraudster Brett Joseph, 39, has been arrested and charged in the United States with fraud and child indecency. Joseph, who made grand stories about immense family wealth while living a humble life in Mudgee, NSW, was convicted of several fraud charges in 2016. Joseph, currently residing in Texas, was accused of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information last Wednesday.

Despite being charged, Joseph maintains his innocence and attributes the charges to a breakup with a former partner. A convicted fraudster in Australia, Joseph was previously charged with indecency with a child by exposure in Texas in October last year, for which he spent a night in jail. Joseph's ex-girlfriend, Daisy Armstrong, has been running a public campaign against him, warning others about his deception.

Armstrong also accused Joseph of misrepresenting himself as a wealthy farmer while living on her family's property and stealing her jewellery. Another woman, Alanna O Donnell, reported that her precious jewellery went missing after living with Joseph in 2009, which led to theft charges against him in Griffith Court in 2017, but the charges were dismissed.

Family friend and retired fraud squad detective inspector, Michael Gerondis, expressed surprise at Joseph's arrest, noting that the fraudster often used a mixture of truth and lies to convince others.