A married couple and their associate have been charged over a brazen $1 million fraud scheme targeting the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), following an extensive five-month investigation by NSW Police.
Manbir Rooprai, 32, along with Richard John Kennedy, 36 and his wife Charlene Gatt, 31 were arrested on Wednesday in connection to an alleged fraudulent operation involving fake invoices and unregistered support services on the state’s Mid North Coast.
NSW Police allege that the trio operated an unregistered NDIS support provider, submitting fraudulent claims for services never rendered to vulnerable Australians. According to investigators, the accused exploited the NDIS framework to funnel money into personal accounts, fabricating services for individuals with disabilities.
The arrests followed coordinated raids across four properties — three in South West Rocks and Arakoon, and a fourth in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Officers seized a trove of documents, records, and electronic storage devices believed to be linked to the elaborate scheme.
Richard Kennedy faces the most serious charges, including three counts of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain, one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain a gain and dealing in the proceeds of an indictable crime amounting to more than $1 million.
Charlene Gatt was charged with one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain a financial gain, while Manbir Rooprai faced four counts of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain and two counts of attempted dishonesty.
Rooprai and Kennedy were refused bail and appeared before Kempsey Local Court on Thursday. Gatt, however, was granted strict conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in court on April 10.
Authorities have stressed the seriousness of the case, warning that any abuse of government support systems, particularly one designed to serve vulnerable members of the community, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not ruled out further charges or arrests.
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