Four years jail for fleecing employer of $1million

Victoria Tanoi was jailed for four years, eight months after defrauding Portacom of more than $1 million. Photo / Rob Kidd

Less than two years after committing a $100,000 fraud, Victoria Tanoi was at it again, but this time the scam was much bigger.

The 46-year-old Favona woman spent the following five years using her position as a senior accounts-payable clerk to fleece Portacom of more than $1 million, which she said fuelled her gambling habit.

When she was caught, in February 2015, she told police she had "done a silly thing".

At Auckland District Court this afternoon she was jailed for four years eight months and Judge Rob Ronayne threw out her application for name suppression.

Tanoi had not sought suppression on her previous nine appearances before the court, and her lawyer Joshua Grainger admitted she had hoped to elude media scrutiny.

He told Judge Ronayne that her husband would be so "deeply ashamed" he would stop going to work and might harm himself if she was named.

The same was said for Tanoi's 24-year-old daughter.

But the judge said there was no evidence before the court and he questioned whether the fraudster had any remorse.

Probation staff who interviewed her before sentencing certainly did not think so.

Tanoi had "no victim empathy" and was more concerned about the plight of her family, a report said.

Judge Ronayne also highlighted the fact the woman had made no offer to make reparation despite having $300,000 of equity in a house.

"She wasn't remorseful over the period of time she committed this offending, was she? She's remorseful now she's been caught," he said.

Tanoi began work at Portacom in 2004 before working her way up to a more senior role by 2009, which gave her access to the company's accounting software.

But it took 270 dishonest transactions before her bosses rumbled her.

A creditor's complaint about not being paid caused staff to look into the company's electronic transactions, which in turn exposed Tanoi's extensive web of fraud.

Investigators found money had been syphoned into her account and those of her family.

Mr Grainger said his client had only come clean to her husband about her gambling addiction this morning but Judge Ronayne said it did not change the seriousness of the offending.

"Your motivation was greed. It was for your gambling, it was for travel and it was for assisting family and friends," he said. "There was persistence over a long period . . . it was planned and premeditated."

The judge said her actions were particularly serious in the light of her previous fraud, for which she was sentenced to 300 hours community work and nine months supervision in 2007.

Tanoi said she would "take her chances" when it came to Portacom pursuing her through the civil court for the cash.

Where to get help:

• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906 (Palmerston North and Levin)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633
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• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (available 24/7)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.