Fiona Mae Bilton of Victoria has been charged with obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

Ms Bilton, as Head of Operations at stockbroking firm BBY Limited (BBY), is charged with three counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage for BBY by deceiving St George Bank on 115 separate occasions between June 2013 and May 2015.  The charges arise out of Ms Bilton’s involvement in obtaining overdraft funding from St George Bank for BBY that BBY was not entitled to.

Ms Bilton has been charged with three counts under subsection 82(1) of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic). Each offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Ms Bilton appeared in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on 12 September 2022.  The matter was adjourned for further mention on 25 October 2022.

The matter is being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

Background

BBY was a former stockbroking and financial services business. It was placed into voluntary administration on 17 May 2015 and in liquidation on 22 June 2015 with significant client shortfalls.

ASIC suspended BBY’s AFS licence in May 2015. That suspension remained in place until its licence was cancelled in June 2021.

ASIC’s investigation into BBY is ongoing.

Editor's note:

On 25 October 2022, Ms Bilton entered a guilty plea in relation to all charges and was committed by the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to appear for sentence before the Country Court of Victoria on 26 May 2023.

Editor's note 2:

On 26 May 2023, the matter was adjourned until 5 June 2023.