Fake Tahitian prince who defrauded the Government out of $16MILLION and falsely claimed to be a lawyer walks free from prison
- Kiwi-born Joel Morehu-Barlow defrauded his employer Queensland Health
- He claimed he was a fake Tahitian prince and managed to steal almost $17million
- In 2013 he was sentenced to 14 years in jail and his parole was rejected twice
- In November he applied for parole for a third time and it has since been approved
- Morehu-Barlow has walked free from Wolston Correctional Centre, Brisbane
A fake Tahitian prince who swindled $16million from the state government has been released from a Queensland prison.
New Zealand-born Joseph Hohepa Morehu-Barlow stole money from his employer Queensland Health over four years while working as a finance officer.
In 2013, he was sentenced to 14 years behind bars at Wolston Correctional Centre in Brisbane and became eligible for parole in December 2016.
Kiwi-born Joseph Hohepa Morehu-Barlow (pictured) defrauded his employer Queensland Health in a four year span where he roped in $16million
After two failed attempts at being released from jail, Morehu-Barlow’s November 2019 application was approved and he has now walked free, ABC reported.
It’s understood he will be deported to New Zealand.
The fraudster’s crimes began in 2004 when he walked into Queensland Health with a fake law degree and quickly climbed the ranks to become a finance officer.
Before his arrest in December 2011, Morehu-Barlow would tell friends and colleagues he was a Polynesian prince
In the following years – between 2007 and 2011 – he stole money and covered it up by saying he was royalty, beginning by transferring small amounts meant for charities into his private bank account.
When he found he wasn’t getting caught he started transferring public funds into his own accounts.
In 2011, $11 million went missing from Queensland Health, which Morehu-Barlow used to buy a luxury apartment for $5.4 million, gaining attention from authorities.
Before his arrest in December 2011, Morehu-Barlow would tell friends and colleagues he was a Polynesian prince.
This allowed him to live an extravagant life where he would splash on exorbitant branded goods, gifts for friends and a multimillion-dollar luxury New Farm unit.
The first request for parole in February 2017 was denied by the parole board while a second request in November 2017 was deferred before it was again denied.