Former employee accused of defrauding auto parts business of $294,000

A 46-year-old man, Timothy James Ferris, has pleaded not guilty to 15 charges of allegedly defrauding his former auto parts business of nearly $300,000 over a period of two years and two months. The case has been transferred to Dubbo Local Court, with the next court date set for December 3, 2023. Ferris, from Moss Vale, appeared in Wollongong Local Court and had his defence lawyer enter not guilty pleas on his behalf to all charges.

The charges against Ferris include six counts of using a false document to obtain a financial advantage and five counts of embezzling over $5,000 from his former employer, Driveline Services Australia. The investigation, initiated by Orana-Mid Western Police in March 2023, revolves around the misappropriation of funds from the Dubbo-based company, which specializes in manufacturing, exporting, importing, and supplying automotive parts.

According to court documents, Ferris is accused of defrauding the employer by issuing fake invoices between January 2021 and March 2023. Specifically, between June and September 2022, he allegedly issued an invoice with his personal bank details instead of the business's details, resulting in $9,950 being obtained. In October 2022, Ferris is alleged to have pocketed $6,000 through another fake invoice to an earthmoving company.

Additionally, in December 2022, he is accused of issuing a fake invoice to a crane company, leading to $11,000 being obtained.

Furthermore, Ferris is accused of failing to update the company's database with products, misdirecting EFTPOS payments, and cancelling existing orders, which allegedly caused the company to lose an additional $203,518 over the same two-year period. Ferris, who resides in Moss Vale, was arrested in Wollongong on Port Kembla Road last month and granted conditional bail.