Katikati woman sentenced for Covid wage subsidy claims fraud

A Bay of Plenty woman has been sentenced to seven months’ home detention after admitting five charges of dishonest use of a document in connection with the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.

Emma Martinson, 34, was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court late last month, a statement from the Ministry of Social Development said.

Alongside the sentence of home detention, Judge Louis Bidois ordered the Katikati woman to pay $14,059.20 reparation, the statement said.

Martinson paid $2000 towards this prior to her sentencing.

The ministry said its prosecution was part of its work to provide assurance that those who received wage subsidy payments were entitled to them.

More than 38 people had been brought before the courts for alleged wage subsidy misuse to date.

The statement said between April 9, 2020 and April 8, 2022, Martinson dishonestly submitted 12 applications to the ministry for wage subsidy and Covid-19 Leave Support Scheme payments, despite not being eligible in that period.

Three applications were successful, paying a total of $14,059.20.

After receiving the funds,

Martinson made several large cash withdrawals.

Her unsuccessful applications totalled $41,662.80.

Eight of the wage subsidy applications were sole trader applications with seven of these submitted in Martinson’s name, and one in the name of ‘Spicknspan’, the statement said.

At the time, Martinson was not working as a sole trader.

Two further wage subsidy applications were made in Martinson’s name, listing her as an employer when she was not.

Martinson also submitted two applications in the names of two other people who had no knowledge of them.

The ministry’s statement said there was no record of any of the wage subsidy funds being used to pay any listed employees.