Former NRL player Arana Taumata has been spared further jail time after being convicted of fraud and domestic violence offences.
Taumata defrauded two victims of $163,950 in a Ponzi-style investment scheme, posing as a property investor and using funds from one victim to reimburse another.
Magistrate Scott Nash described the offences as “serious” but opted for an 18-month intensive correction order, allowing Taumata to repay his victims while serving his sentence in the community.
He was also ordered to perform 126 hours of community service and repay the stolen funds in full.
The fraud came to light when victims received notices about missing superannuation funds after Taumata disappeared in late 2021.
“From the evidence obtained during the investigation, rather than facilitate the legitimate investing of the victim's superannuation funds, the accused simply used the victims' funds to reimburse existing clients in a ‘rob Peter to pay Paul' Ponzi-styled scam,” prosecutors stated.
One victim lost $90,900, while another was defrauded of $73,050.
In addition to the fraud charges, Taumata was convicted of damaging his ex-girlfriend's car during a domestic violence incident.
He was ordered to pay $943 in damages and undergo community service.
This latest chapter in Taumata's troubled career follows his earlier fall from grace as a rugby league prospect, with stints at multiple clubs cut short by several off-field indiscretions.
