NZ couple stole $500k from disability charity for holidays

 A New Zealand couple who defrauded a government-funded disability charity by more than $500,000 to fund their lavish lifestyle will be sentenced later this year.

Cecilia Ann Ellenbroek, 61, and her husband Alfonsus Jozef Maria Ellenbroek, 64, pleaded guilty to stealing $565,624 from the Alpha Support Centre Trust in Christchurch District Court on Thursday. 

The couple were the trustees of a charity that provided community-based support for intellectually disabled adults.

A New Zealand couple who defrauded a government-run disability charity by more than $500,000 pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court (pictured)

Mrs Ellenbroek was the chief executive officer who oversaw the day-to-day management while her husband managed payroll as chairman and operations manager, Stuff reported.  

Mrs Ellenbroek pleaded guilty to six charges of false accounting and six charges of theft, amounting to $494,544, while her husband pleaded guilty to six charges of theft by a person in a special relationship, totalling $71,080.

The court heard full details of how the stolen funds were spent, which included $120,000 in accommodation at a beachfront condo at Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach, $21,000 on holidays to San Diego, New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, more than $14,000 worth of whitegoods and a $3999 pair of diamond earrings.

Of the $565,624 the couple stole from the charity, $120,000 was spent on accommodation at a condo at Hawaii's Waikiki Beach (pictured)

Of the $565,624 the couple stole from the charity, $120,000 was spent on accommodation at a condo at Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach (pictured)

The spending spree also included concert tickets for international acts Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jason Derulo, and Bruno Mars, Stuff reported.

The court heard how charity staff saw a noticeable decline in services offered to clients over a five year period before it closed in 2015 after 17 years in operation.

‘One staff member ultimately felt compelled to resign as she was unable to provide the level of care that was required with the resources available,’ prosecutor Anne Toohey told the court.

The defence counsel told the court said a substantial amount will be repaid before the sentencing.

The couple remain free on bail and will be sentenced in October. 

The spending spree also included concert tickets for a number of international acts, including Lady Gaga (pictured)

The spending spree also included concert tickets for a number of international acts, including Lady Gaga (pictured)

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk