Australian Big Cats

ZOO FRAUD CHARGE
BY DON MAHONEY
15/08/2008 11:46:00 AM
A Gulgong man who is alleged to have misrepresented himself as an Dubbo’s Taronga Western Plains Zoo employee has had fraud charges against him adjourned to Mudgee Local Court on September 17.Police facts tendered to the court last week allege that from September last year to February this year Adrian Timothy Simpson, 19, of Stubbo Road went on a masquerade of falsely claiming to be a Taronga Western Plains Zoo employee.
It is alleged his escapade began in Gulgong when he produced business cards from the zoo in his name as Big Cat Handler and Big Cat Manager. His next activity purchase a scanner from Dick Smith Electronics at Dubbo and charge it to the zoo using a zoo order form.
Simpson continued his charade when he approached Ian Bateman of Roadrunners at Dubbo for sponsorship of an animal rescue vehicle.
Roadrunners supplied the flashing lights and delivered the equipment, on Simpson’s instructions, to Amy Turner of Snelsons Lane Gulgong.
The following month Simpson was driving a vehicle bearing Taronga Western Plains Zoo stickers on both sides when it is alleged that he drove a Michael Williams around the zoo and utilised the scanner purchased from Dick Smith Electronics.
At the time he was said to have had an assistant named Amy with him and that they were both wearing Taronga Western Plains Zoo shirts similar to the ones sold in the zoo’s souvenir shop.
He is then alleged to have applied for work firstly at a koala hospital in Port Macquarie late last year and then, in January, applied to the Melbourne Zoo.
On both occasions he is said to have purported to have been employed at Taronga Western Plains Zoo and indicated to the koala hospital he was senior carnivore keeper.
While in the Port Macquarie area he was stopped by police at North Haven for being suspected of driving a vehicle using flashing red and blue lights and at the time told police he worked at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
On January 14 Zoos Victoria received an application for employment from Simpson and on this occasion he is alleged to have supplied a certificate in his name from Tropical North Queensland TAFE for a “Certificate III in Captive Animal Care and Management”.
TAFE states there is no such course run and Simpson has never been enrolled at the TAFE.
Police executed a search warrant at Simpson’s home address on February 21 and located a set of red/blue flashing lights; Taronga Western Plains Zoo business cards in Simpson’s name that were similar to ones presented at a Gulgong supermarket and reports in Simpson’s name and Taronga Western Plains Zoo identity tags in Simpson’s name.
Simpson is charged with make false instrument, obtain money by deception, fraudulent personation with intent to commit fraud, two counts of use false instrument and two counts of have false instrument.
Simpson was represented by Mudgee solicitor Allan Hogan when he appeared before Registrar Tony Goodwin in Mudgee Local Court last week.
http://dubbo.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/zoo-fraud-charge/1245487.aspx