A former New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) administrator has been sentenced to 12 months’ home detention and 250 hours of community work for embezzling funds raised for the health, wellbeing and retention of army personnel.
Paniparewhakaro Elizabeth Rangiuia stole approximately $225,000 over seven years from accounts holding funds raised by NZDF members.
The 60-year-old was sentenced today in the Palmerston North District Court.
She previously pleaded guilty to one representative charge of theft by person in a special relationship and one representative charge of false accounting.
“Ms Rangiuia abused her position of trust to steal a significant amount of charitable funds while she was employed at Waiouru,” Serious Fraud Office director Julie Read said.
“The defendant stole the funds which were raised by army personnel for her own benefit, spending most of the money on gambling. This was not spur of the moment offending but a course of conduct which continued over years.”
Ms Rangiuia worked for the NZDF for 31 years until her dismissal in September 2018.
SHARE ME