Parole for travel fraudster
A former Taranaki travel agent who stole more than $700,000 of her clients’ money is out of prison after being granted parole at the first opportunity.
Nadene Cheree Chapman, the former director of Waitara Travel Ltd, was responsible for taking customer cash after their bookings were either not made or irregularities were found with their holiday arrangements.
The offending spanned a 20-month period and Chapman was arrested in June 2016 following a police investigation into complaints laid by those affected.
The total amount taken was $707,737.
In February 2018, she was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to two charges of using a document to gain pecuniary advantage and one of theft by a person in a special relationship.
Chapman became eligible for parole on February 17, after spending 12 months behind bars.
At the parole hearing, the board heard how the offending arose out of the financial difficulty experienced by Chapman’s travel business.
‘‘She (Chapman) told us that she overcapitalised and was unable to manage the consequences and began using the funds from one of her clients to meet the payments of another,’’ the report said.
The board said Chapman openly acknowledged her ‘‘fraudulent and dishonest behaviour’’.
‘‘She spoke of the losses she caused to her victims.’’
While behind bars, Chapman completed rehabilitation programmes and assisted other inmates with their fitness regimes.
Prior to her release she lived in a self care unit and also had a prison job.
Chapman was released from jail on an undisclosed date in February and will be subject to standard and special conditions for the next 18 months.
This includes not to be involved in handling money or managing any financial accounts, not to operate a credit card or apply for a loan or to engage in any employment or have any role in the affairs of any business, trust, company or other entity unless she had the approval of her probation officer.