Disgraced former realtor and convicted fraudster Aaron Drever has been handed more jail time for concealing income and property that could have been used to pay creditors while bankrupt.
Drever, who was already behind bars for insolvency crimes, was sentenced to a further eight months in prison at the Auckland District Court on Monday.
His latest sentence was for continually lying about being unemployed and on the benefit, when he was actually working.
The sentence handed out Monday was the latest in a saga of legal troubles for the once high-flying real estate agent and business owner.
He had been bankrupted in June 2019 but continued to set up businesses, controlling and managing them without approval from the Official Assignee, which is illegal.
In August 2022, he was sentenced to two years and two months imprisonment and was ordered to pay $75,000 in reparations after being convicted of several dishonesty charges brought forward by police.
Among the acts for which he was charged, Drever had stolen more than $100,000 from Auckland Speedway and pocketed nearly $500,000 in a property deal involving land at Avondale Bowling Club.
This offending took place between 2016 and 2019, meaning some of it occurred while he had been adjudicated bankrupt.
“His actions resulted in significant financial harm to those impacted by his offending,” the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment said.
Just months before he was sentenced on the police charges, MBIE launched its own prosecution, where Dreaver pleaded guilty to charges of managing a business while bankrupt, incurring credit and failing to file a statement of affairs.
The charges related to his dealings with an Auckland fast food company that took place while he was still an undischarged bankrupt with insolvency restrictions.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison in March of this year.
In November 2023, while on parole for the police-laid charges and awaiting sentencing on the MBIE charges, Drever got a job with catering company Free Range Chef Ltd. Between November 13 2023, and July 1 2024, Drever was paid $48,114.94.
He had not disclosed his employment or income to the Official Assignee, which administers bankruptcies and liquidations, and used the money for personal expenditure.
Dreaver continued to claim that his only income was from the benefit and did not declare that he had a job.
He maintained the same position every time he was called to appear before the Official Assignee, and even while under oath, he claimed to be on the benefit and unemployed.
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When his employment status was inquired about by his insolvency officer, Drever stated that he intended to take a training course and was not supposed to be employed or undertake self-employment.
MBIE investigations and compliance team manager Vanessa Cook labelled Drever’s offending as “premeditated”
“He was well aware of his obligations as a bankrupt, having been previously charged with offences against the Insolvency Act, including concealing property.
“The sentencing today reinforces the purpose of the Insolvency Act, which is designed to protect the public from individuals who have been unscrupulous, incompetent or irresponsible in how they have carried on business.”
Cook said the extra jail time “signals the seriousness of his actions in wilfully misleading the Official Assignee in respect of his financial situation, as well as disregarding the obligations imposed on adjudicated bankrupts”.
