Prison officer denies fraud

One of four Pilbara prison officers accused of fraud has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to gain subsidised housing assistance he was not entitled to. The Pilbara News reported last week that John Carton, Jasmine Hepi, Kerrie Garstone, and Toni Van Den Berg had been charged in relation to alleged rorting of the Government Regional Officers Housing scheme in Karratha. It is alleged Mr Carton attempted to gain subsidised housing despite owning property in the region, while Ms Hepi has been accused of gaining benefit by fraud to the value of $71,180 for GROH benefit claims made since 2018. Ms Hepi appeared in the Karratha Magistrate’s Court on July 22, when her bail conditions were altered to allow her to visit her grandfather in New Zealand after he suffered a heart attack. Ms Garstone has been accused of fraud worth $59,359 for GROH benefits from 2015, while Ms Van Den Berg has been charged with multiple counts of fraud totalling $298,128 for GROH benefits from 2014. Mr Carton last Tuesday pleaded not guilty to his charge in Karratha Magistrate’s Court, with his lawyer Kate Crispe seeking a trial allocation date. The prosecution allege Mr Carton tried to gain Government housing while owning property within a 50km radius. The prosecution said while the monetary benefit could not be quantified, the house had an expected rent range of $800 per week. Mr Carton will appear in the Karratha Magistrate’s Court on September 2 for a trial allocation date. The four officers were charged following an investigation in June by WA Police detectives and the Department of Justice Professional Standards Division into the alleged misuse of the GROH scheme.