Brett Joseph, 39, a man previously convicted of fraud-related offences in Mudgee, New South Wales, has been charged in Texas with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, according to the Wharton District Court, which confirmed he has not yet been indicted. Officers from the Throckmorton Sheriff's Department arrested Joseph after discovering an outstanding warrant while serving him papers in a separate civil matter.
Australian man with prior fraud conviction faces new charges in Texas
Brett Joseph, 39, a man previously convicted of fraud-related offences in Mudgee, New South Wales, has been charged in Texas with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, according to the Wharton District Court, which confirmed he has not yet been indicted. Officers from the Throckmorton Sheriff's Department arrested Joseph after discovering an outstanding warrant while serving him papers in a separate civil matter.
Joseph was arrested last Wednesday. According to Sheriff Glen Whitfield, officers ran Joseph's driver's licence during the civil papers service, confirmed an outstanding arrest warrant, and transported him to Stephens County Jail. A booking sheet shows he spent two days in custody before posting a US$10,000 (approximately A$14,200) bond.
This is reportedly not Joseph's first encounter with Texas law. In October of the previous year, he was charged with indecency with a child by exposure and spent a night in jail after posting a US$25,000 (approximately A$35,400) bond. He has not been indicted on that charge either, according to the Wharton District Court.
In Australia, Mudgee Local Court records show Joseph was convicted on three separate occasions for fraud-related offences. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to three counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, receiving a A$1,500 fine and a 12-month suspended prison sentence with a good behaviour bond. Separately, eight theft-related charges brought in Griffith Local Court were ultimately dismissed between 2017 and 2018.
Joseph came to broader public attention through a website maintained by Daisy Armstrong, 39, from Griffith, NSW, who dated him for approximately six months in 2016 after meeting on Tinder. Armstrong said she grew suspicious of his claims and discovered he had been representing himself as a wealthy farmer on dating profiles while they were together. She said she later learned he used multiple aliases, including Brett Goodman, Hunter Ballieu, Brett Jones, Brett Inglis, Brett James, and Brett Jay.
Another woman, Alanna O'Donnell from Wollondilly Shire, NSW, told the ABC that jewellery went missing after she lived with and dated Joseph for several weeks in 2009. She said she later found her antique ring after discovering Armstrong's website and learning Armstrong had been given it. Theft charges related to the ring were brought in Griffith Court in 2017 but were subsequently dismissed.
Michael Gerondis, a retired fraud squad detective inspector and family friend of the Armstrongs, said he had monitored Joseph for years. He described Joseph as presenting claims that contained 'an element of truth,' such as referencing a large property that existed but did not belong to him.
- The source does not identify the complainant or circumstances underlying the most recent Texas charge of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information.
- The source does not detail the nature of the civil case in which Joseph was being served papers at the time of his arrest.
- The source does not name or quote Joseph's former romantic partner whom he says is responsible for the Texas charges.
- The source does not report whether Australian authorities were notified of or are monitoring Joseph's legal situation in the United States.
- The source does not clarify the current status of the child indecency charge from October of the previous year beyond stating Joseph has not been indicted.
Read the original at ABC News Australia