Public Servant Charged Over Alleged NDIS Fraud, $5 Million Considered Suspicious

Authorities alleged the man used his position to refer vulnerable members of the community to a registered NDIS provider business that he co-owned.

AFP officers arrest a Darwin public servant accused of defrauding the NDIS. Courtesy of the AFP

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has arrested a Darwin man accused of using his public service role to defraud the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The man, 47, is a National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) employee and was brought before the Darwin Local Court on Feb. 19.

Police alleged he used his position to refer vulnerable members of the community to a registered NDIS provider business that he co-owned.

AFP’s Fraud Fusion Taskforce began investigating the matter in October 2025.

The man’s business has claimed more than $28 million (US$19.7 million) in NDIS funding since 2019. About $5 million of those claims were identified as suspicious.

The AFP executed search warrants on Feb. 18 at three locations in the Northern Territory, including a Lee Point residence and a business in Durack.

Investigators seized documents and electronic devices, including laptops, and will conduct further forensic examinations on those devices.

AFP Detective Inspector Aidan Milner said the agency was focused on stopping criminal exploitation of federal payments designed to support people with genuine needs.

“Defrauding the Commonwealth ultimately steals the money of hard-working Australians and prevents those with genuine needs receiving the care they desperately need,” he said.

“The AFP and its partners ... will relentlessly pursue those who seek to exploit our government social programs for their own benefit.”

Broader Crackdown on NDIS Fraud

According to the government, the NDIA has taken action against over 2,500 NDIS providers exhibiting patterns of incorrect or non-compliant claims, or other significant risk indicators since the Fraud Fusion Taskforce was created in November 2022.

In a report released in October 2025, the NDIA said it had reviewed more than 100,000 claims by NDIS providers, plan managers and participants.

Around $86 million worth of claims were rejected through pre-payment reviews and manual payment reviews during 2024–25. In addition, 20,000 high-risk claims are currently being reviewed each month.

The federal government has invested more than $550 million in NDIS integrity and compliance, resulting in the expansion of the NDIA’s integrity workforce to more than 800 specialists, up from 100 in 2020–21.

In a related development, a Sydney man was charged in January over his alleged role in defrauding the NDIS of $3.5 million.

Authorities alleged the 31-year-old, a director of a NDIS service provider, withdrew large amounts of cash repeatedly between 2022 and 2025 to launder suspected proceeds of crime.

Investigators alleged the money was linked to fraudulent NDIS claims, including cases where supports and services were not provided to participants.