A former systems engineer stole more than $43,000 from the Department of Health and Aged Care through putting incorrect hours in his timesheets, a court has heard.
Andrew Keith Wallace, 37, denied charges of general dishonesty causing a loss and general dishonesty causing a risk of loss, but he was found guilty.
Wallace was employed by Talent International, a contract agency that placed him under the Department of Health and Aged Care from July 2016 to April 2017.
The process of getting paid involved submitting timesheets to the department which they would approve and then the contract agency would pay accordingly.
On three separate occasions during 2016 and 2017, Wallace entered false hours which the department approved due to his "trusted role working as a sub-contractor".
Overall, Wallace stole about $43,000 from the department and attempted to enter false hours a fourth time. However, he was blocked on this occasion.
In the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday, defence lawyer Tim Sharman said Wallace was willing to reimburse the money and should not go behind bars due to his low risk of reoffending.
Mr Sharman also argued Wallace resided with his mother in their family accommodation where her health was deteriorating and sending the offender to prison would cause difficulties for the family.
The Commonwealth prosecutor argued "very little" was known about Wallace's motive for offending, adding that the offender appeared to lack remorse due to his pleas of not guilty.
Magistrate Robert Cook, who had previously found Wallace guilty of the two charges, described the offending as "opportunistic" and "calculated" as it involved a degree of planning and premeditation.
Despite Wallace maintaining his innocence, Mr Cook believed it was positive he recognised the need to repay the stolen money and having a criminal record was a strong punishment alone as he had been unable to get government work since the offending.
Mr Cook told Wallace he nevertheless had "the capacity to continue to engage in meaningful work".
The magistrate ultimately sentenced Wallace to a suspended six-month jail term, with a 12-month good behaviour order.
