Mother of Four Sentenced in Elaborate NDIS Fraud Operation
A 48-year-old mother of four with an assessed IQ of 71 has been sentenced for her involvement in a sophisticated money laundering scheme that defrauded the National Disability Insurance Scheme of over $1.1 million. Angelina Deliciso appeared at Sydney's District Court in Darlinghurst on Friday, supported by her daughter, after pleading guilty to negligently dealing with criminal proceeds exceeding one million dollars.
The Complex Money Laundering Operation
Court documents revealed that between July 31 and September 7, 2018, substantial sums ranging from $29,472 to $304,340 flowed into Deliciso's bank account. The total amount received within this six-week period reached $1,122,881.13.
Deliciso systematically withdrew these funds from 81 different ATMs across Sydney, placing the cash in brown paper bags. She then distributed these bags through her car window to individuals she believed were construction subcontractors for King Construction NSW Pty Ltd, a company she operated with her estranged younger son, Mehdi Hammoud.
Mental Health and Cognitive Challenges
A psychological assessment presented to the court determined Deliciso's IQ at 71, significantly below the general population average of approximately 100. The court heard this resulted from mental health difficulties and low cognitive function.
Judge Christopher O'Brien noted during sentencing that Deliciso's complex mental health history included trauma, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, and mild intellectual disability.
Traumatic Background and Mitigating Circumstances
The court learned of Deliciso's profoundly difficult personal history, including childhood sexual abuse and exposure to pornography. She was forced into marriage with a man who physically assaulted her.
Years later, her oldest son was placed in juvenile detention after seriously assaulting her and stomping on her head, according to the judge's remarks. Deliciso's daughter now serves as her primary carer.
The Fraudulent NDIS Scheme
Court documents indicated the laundered money originated from accounts held by Australia Wide Care Pty Ltd (AWC), a registered NDIS provider operating under the stolen identity of Terrence McKenna. The NDIA later discovered that McKenna had no actual control over the company and his identity had been compromised as part of an elaborate fraud.
AWC submitted 422 false claims on behalf of disabled participants who never received the services outlined in the claims. Deliciso was not accused of involvement in the identity theft or submission of false NDIS claims.
Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
Judge O'Brien sentenced Deliciso to an 18-month intensive corrections order, effectively a jail sentence served within the community. The judge acknowledged that her mental health issues, combined with lack of education and disadvantaged upbringing, meant she was genuinely negligent about dealing with criminal proceeds.
Deliciso cried audibly as the sentence was delivered. The judge noted that while she failed to take full responsibility in her written apology to the court, her guilty plea and demonstrated remorse were significant factors in the sentencing decision.
Broader Fraud Investigation
Deliciso's arrest in 2018 formed part of a larger NDIA investigation that uncovered eight companies falsely registered as NDIS providers for fraudulent purposes. Seven of these companies used stolen identities in their registration.
Companies including Adventure Care, Fourstar Care, Ambulant Care, Kanesh, Martcorp, Smart Transport, and Rorke submitted a combined 1,276 false claims valued at $3,807,881.63. These amounts were removed from participants' plans despite no services ever being delivered.
The court heard that Deliciso believed King Construction was a legitimate business and that she handled payroll, often withdrawing cash to pay various construction workers until the business ceased operations in 2019. She maintained she was unaware of any relationship between King Construction and the NDIS and would never knowingly defraud the disability scheme.
