Summary
- Josh Hoch operated fraudulent charter operations, transporting politicians without proper licenses, and made at least AUD 370,000 through his activities.
- He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty and sentenced to five years in jail, with two to be served behind bars.
- Hoch’s jail sentence was reduced by six months on appeal, and his period of good behavior after release was reduced to three years. He previously believed he would not be prosecuted and thought authorities turned a blind eye.
Josh Hoch operated two charter operations, Flying Fitters Pty Ltd and Hoch Air Pty Ltd, based in Queensland, Australia. Both charters were set up and operated without proper authorization and operator’s licenses. Furthermore, Hosch was not appropriately licensed to operate the aircraft commercially, holding only a private pilot’s license.
During a five-year period, the charter operation spent the majority of its operations transporting politicians from Katter’s Australian Party around their Queensland electorates. Hoch acted as the pilot in command for over 96 flights, 61 of which were conducted on behalf of federal MP Bob Katter.
MP Katter has used his travel allowance to pay for the flights. However, the KAP politicians did not know the operation was fraudulent and were not suspected of any wrongdoing.
Photo: Shutterstock/Everton Eifert
Hoch made at least AUD 370,000 through his fraudulent activities. The amount could be as high as AUD 500,000 per his personal telephonic conversations obtained by police during their investigation, though it is thought to be an exaggeration.
Sentencing and jail time
In November 2022, the 36-year-old Queensland native was charged with 13 counts in total, including four counts of flying an aircraft without a license, five of operating an aircraft without an operator’s license, one count of dishonesty, and three counts of fraud to the value of AUD 30,000 or more.
Hoch pleaded not guilty to the charges but was found guilty in Townsville District Court, and Judge Michael Byrne KC sentenced Hoch to five years of jail, two of which he must serve behind bars. Hoch was to be released on November 15, 2024, in a $2000, four-year good behavior bond.
Photo: Robert Buchel / Shutterstock
Hoch’s defense attorney, Michael Hibble, pointed out that Hoch had applied for an Aircraft Operator’s Certificate, which was granted in 2016, in an effort to operate legally.
Subsequent appeals
Last month, Hoch appealed some of the convictions for fraud and dishonesty, which will be part of a new trial.
Hoch had his most recent win at the Brisbane Court of Appeals on Friday. The appeal centered around the premise that his fraud and flying offenses were considered part of one sequence of offending.
The court also heard that the sentences for fraud in the amount of over 30,000 and flying without a license were “unduly severe” as they did not start at the same time as his sentence for other offenses.
Photo: Photosite/Shutterstock
Chief Justice Helen Bowskill and Justices Debra Mullins and David North granted Hoch his appeal, stating:
“The point at which (Hoch) is released from custody must reflect the fact that the overall notional sentence for all the offending must be less without … the most serious of the fraud offenses.”
Hoch’s jail sentence has been reduced by six months, and his period of good behavior after release has been reduced to three years from four.
Too big to fail
Hoch previously believed that he was safe from prosecution, as revealed in court through personal telephonic conversations with his wife, Nichole Ellen Limburg. Hoch told his wife:
“It’s only money. No one’s been run over by a bus, and no one is going to jail. “We say, ‘Alright, we’ve been naughty boys.”
Phone calls also show that Hoch believed that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in Townsville knew that he didn’t have the proper authorization but turned a blind eye.
Source: 9News