A former chartered accountant has been sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment for stealing approximately $1.01 million from his clients.
[adrotate banner=”92″]
Christopher George Wright (64) misappropriated refunds from his clients on whose behalf he filed tax returns and received refunds.
The tax refunds intended for Mr Wright’s clients were deposited in his accounting practice’s trust account. The Auckland man spent the refunds on gambling, friends and family, school fees and loan repayments. He defrauded about 245 clients over a six-year period from January 2010 to April 2016.
Mr Wright was sentenced today at the Auckland District Court. He had pleaded guilty previously to one representative charge of ‘Theft by person in special relationship’ brought by the Serious Fraud Office.
The Director of the SFO, Julie Read, said, “The sentence reflects the seriousness of offending which was premeditated, repetitive and long running. Mr Wright breached his professional duties and deceived his clients for personal gain of more than $1 million. His offending was a significant breach of trust and he will now suffer the consequences of his actions. The prosecution of such matters is an important aspect of protecting New Zealand’s reputation as a safe place to invest and do business.”
- Law Firm Marketing Traffic TrapRemember when everyone said “content is king”? It appears that the king has been dethroned with the launch of AI Overviews and the onset of AI summaries. Sarah Perez at TechCrunch just dropped some sobering numbers. Since Google launched AI Overviews in May 2024, nearly 69 percent of news searches end with zero clicks to actual websites. That’s up from 56 percent before AI summaries took over. So if you search for “Supreme Court ruling on AI patents” Google’s AI gives you a neat summary right at the top.
- How Legal Tech Is Empowering Small FirmsArticle Source: Joist.com Image: pexels It’s almost obvious, small law firms rarely… Read more: How Legal Tech Is Empowering Small Firms
- 6 Legal Compliance Tips When Using Company Cars in 2025Article Source: EchoPark.com Image Source: Pexels Today, IRS audits on fringe benefits… Read more: 6 Legal Compliance Tips When Using Company Cars in 2025
- From Conflict to Clarity: How Lab-Created Diamonds Are Redefining Legal and Ethical Standards in the Jewelry TradeArticle Source: Diamondere.com Suggested URL: conflict-to-clarity-how-lab-created-diamonds-redefining-legal-ethical-standards-in-jewelry-trade Lab-created diamonds are impacting the jewelry… Read more: From Conflict to Clarity: How Lab-Created Diamonds Are Redefining Legal and Ethical Standards in the Jewelry Trade
- BHP’s Massive Legal Battle Over Brazil Dam DisasterBHP’s Staggering Legal Bills Ben Thomson, LawFuel contibuting editor BHP is facing… Read more: BHP’s Massive Legal Battle Over Brazil Dam Disaster