FORMER Maitland Park Bowling and Sporting Complex secretary Chad McLetchie allegedly directed $15,000 from poker machine purchases to his private bank account and later falsely claimed he dumped poker machines at a “local waste dump”, Liquor and Gaming NSW has told a Sydney court.
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Mr McLetchie, 37, of Farley, was charged with making a false statement to the authority during an interview in Newcastle on November 13 after denying selling eight machines to a Fletcher man.
In charge sheets to Sydney Downing Centre Local Court, Liquor and Gaming NSW alleged Mr McLetchie received at least $10,000 for the machines. The authority alleged in an interview on December 2 Mr McLetchie “admitted to the inspectors that he made the false statements”.
He has been charged with two counts of fraudulently obtaining money in connection with a gaming machine; obstructing an investigation by making false statements; 24 counts of unauthorised gaming machine possession and eight counts of selling a machine without a dealer’s licence. He has not entered pleas.
In charge sheets before Sydney Local Court the authority alleges Mr McLetchie bought 12 poker machines from a Sydney company in December, 2014. The company was aware the machines would be paid for by the club’s insurer and “increased the price for the sale by $29,500” as a result of this knowledge, the court was told.
Liquor and Gaming alleges Mr McLetchie directed $15,000 of the “overcharged amount” to his private bank account, and later used a club letterhead to accept an offer of a $13,200 “study tour” to Las Vegas made by the Sydney company that sold the poker machines.
The authority said in charge sheets to the court that Maitland Park Bowling Complex directors were not aware of the letter to the Sydney company or the offer of a Las Vegas “study tour”.
Liquor and Gaming said the poker machines were destroyed. The matter returns to court in September.
