Fraudster pilot fails to fly under the radar
A NORTH Queensland pilot has been taken into custody after a jury convicted him of illegally chartering a group of North Queensland MPS and pocketing government payments for the flights.
Josh Hoch was convicted on 13 of the 14 counts levelled against him after a 10 day trial and almost two days of jury deliberations.
Hoch had been accused of flying charter flights for members of Katter’s Australian Party without the proper licence to charge for the trips between 2011 and 2015.
On Friday afternoon, he was convicted of one count of fraud to the value of $30,000 or more, one count of general dishonesty, two counts of fraud, four counts of flying without a licence, five counts of offences in relation to aircraft.
He was discharged on one count of flying aircraft without a licence.
During the Townsville District Court trial, the Crown had alleged Hoch had been paid by the government for the flights.
It was also alleged that he had conducted the flights without holding both a Civil Aviation Authorisation and an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
No wrongdoing is alleged against the Katters.
The court had previously heard that Hoch had held a private pilots licence during the flights, instead of the required commercial licence.
Hoch was granted an AOC in 2016, after the offences were committed.
Multiple witnesses including Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, Traeger MP Robbie Katter, and Hill MP Shane Knuth were called to give evidence in the trial.
After enjoying five years on bail, Hoch was remanded in custody.
He will be sentenced on Monday November 21.