A government contractor has been accused of accepting payments to alter hundreds of driving fines, some connected to bikie and Middle Eastern gangs.
Tyler Garth, 25, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court today after she was charged with 292 offences including fraud, misconduct and perverting the course of justice charges.
The Greenvale woman was working for government contractor Civica, which manages Fines Victoria’s contact centre, between 2018 and 2023.
Police will allege over five years she used her position to access data and alter nominations for driving penalty notices, as well as receive payments for the false notices.
“During that time the accused has been falsifying fine nominations, as well as disclosing VicRoads protected data,” Detective Senior Constable Rhett Killeen told the court.
He said evidence was found on the mobile phones of two criminal associates.
The detective said Garth could be hit with more charges, as he alleged up to 2500 fines had been affected and there would be four charges issued for every fine.
“Her charges could potentially run into the thousands,” he said.
Garth, who is on bail, will next face court on July 18.
Police are investigating whether people allegedly paid to have their fines nominated to someone else.
A number of those who received the penalty notices are connected to outlaw motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime groups, Victoria Police said in a statement.
Officers seized electronic devices, cash, a samurai sword and drugs when they raided Garth’s property on June 24, police said.
Police said a second co-accused, a Westmeadows woman, 22, was arrested and released pending further inquiries on July 4.
Another co-accused, a Westmeadows man, 18, was arrested and interviewed but also released pending more inquiries.
