NSW hay bale scammer hit with new charges

Matthew Lewis Small was set to be sentenced in Fairfield Local Court this week however it was delayed after NSW Police charged him with additional counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Small, 27, was in January told he would be jailed after pleading guilty to 14 fraud charges and admitted to scamming $43,500 from farmers from across the state who had been affected by drought and bushfires.

However he is now facing an additional seven charges and is accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $20,000 from an additional four victims.

NSW Police Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside said the Rural Crime Prevention Team had a zero tolerance towards anyone that sought to take advantage of vulnerable farmers.

"Strike Force Woden highlights our commitment to disrupt rural crime offenders that prey upon regional, rural and remote New South Wales," he said.

Using a series of aliases including Mattie Maatan and Matthew Cortez, Small posted fake ads to online buy-sell groups for heavily discounted lucerne hay bales, but failed to deliver after receiving payment.

At the time, he admitted he may have committed more offences and police encouraged any other victims to come forward.

He now faces a total of 24 charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception when he next appears in court on April 17.

When he was arrested at a Villawood property earlier in the year, he had four outstanding warrants in his name after failing to show up to court in April 2019.

He was convicted in his absence of three fraud charges related to the fake sale of firewood, all of which were similar to his hay bale scam.

He was also on a good behaviour bond relating to domestic violence offences.

Documents lodged with the court revealed he had told NSW Police that he acted out of desperation because he owed money to bikies and feared for his life if he was sent to jail.

Australian Associated Press