Three sentenced for $500,000 fraud at POPES Electrical

Three individuals have been sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court following a massive fraud scheme that targeted POPES Electrical and Data Supplies. Ricky John Byrne, 50, Steven Quilter, 46, and Lisa Quilter, 47, pleaded guilty to charges including theft, money laundering, and obtaining property by deception.

Between 2016 and 2019, Steven Quilter, the branch manager, and Byrne, the sales manager, defrauded the business of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Their methods included using the company credit card to purchase electrical items from Harvey Norman, which were then refunded into personal accounts or added to customer invoices. The group also engaged in direct stock theft, selling items through eBay or to associates with the assistance of Lisa Quilter.

Acting Justice James Stewart described the incident as an ‘extraordinary course of dishonesty’ and a ‘gross breach of trust’ that brought the victim's business close to collapse.