Pay $25k or go to jail - judge upholds scammer's sentence
Posted by editor (editor) on Feb 11 2010
2010 >>

North Queensland con man Roger Temple Bell's appeal against a $25,000 fine for ripping off jobseekers was today struck out in the Cairns District Court.

Fair Trading Minister Peter Lawlor said Mr Bell, of Mount Molloy near Cairns, challenged the punishment he was given for running an elaborate employment scam in which he recruited people for bogus jobs in a non-existent mine.

In December 2009, the Office of Fair Trading took action against Mr Bell in the Cairns Magistrates Court for misleading conduct in relation to employment. As a result of that action Mr Bell pleaded guilty to 12 breaches of the Fair Trading Act 1989..

At that time he was ordered to pay $25,000 within 12 months or face three months jail, to pay court costs, and to reimburse $3,308 to the victims of his job scam.

As well as throwing today's appeal out, the judge ordered Mr Bell - who did not appear in court to hear the matter - to pay an extra $1500 in court costs.

"The court did not budge on the sentence given late last year and this just reiterates how serious Mr Bell's offences were and the impact on his victims," Mr Lawlor said.

"The court obviously believes the punishment fits the crime."

In the scam people were led to believe they have gained employment through Mr Bell’s web site Mine Jobs Australia, however they were unaware the advertised positions did not actually exist.

He also made people pay for employment services and other resources, such as fake 'mining passports', to supposedly help them get their big break in the mining industry.

"It all unravelled when Mr Bell went so far as to get his victims to meet at the Mackay and Townsville airports so they could go by bus to their new workplace," Mr Lawlor said.

"The people, who were from Queensland and interstate, had all paid for flights and booked accommodation only to get off the plane and realise they'd been had by this fraudster."

Mr Lawlor said some of the complainants even quit their permanent jobs because they thought they had got a better one through Mr Bell's company.

"Mr Bell is a repeated law breaker and a cruel one at that," Mr Lawlor said.

"Today's outcome is another warning that people who do not trade fairly will be vigorously pursued by the OFT and the penalty can be costly."

Last changed: Feb 11 2010 at 10:18 AM