A Wollongong mother-of-four has made an eleventh hour confession to defrauding nearly $20,000 in COVID-19 relief payments during the height of pandemic lockdowns.
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Hayley Elizabeth Arroyo, 30, was due to face a hearing at Wollongong Local Court on Thursday to defend 78 fraud-related charges.
However, Arroyo sat quietly as her defence lawyer Paul Payne confirmed the matter had been resolved.
Arroyo entered last-minute guilty pleas to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and dealing with identification information to facilitate the commission of an indictable offence.
Police prosecutor Chris Manning confirmed seventy-six charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception were withdrawn.
Tendered court documents state Arroyo used driver's licence and Medicare details to create a fake account using another woman's name to commit fraud between January 1 and May 5, 2022.
She also provided false information to swindle $19,257 in grants, intended for those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, between September 2021 and February 2022.
Mr Payne said an agreed set of amended facts was yet to be finalised and requested the matter be adjourned for two weeks to allow time for this to happen.
He added Arroyo will undergo an assessment for a court-ordered drug rehabilitation program.
Magistrate Gabriel Fleming adjourned the matter to December 19.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
