A man who defrauded Medicare to help fund his drug habit has been sentenced to two months imprisonment.
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Ashvindar Deep Kandola, 37, used a series of falsified receipts from doctors to make claims at Medicare offices in NSW and the ACT in 2011.
He invented the records from doctors 11 times, using them at Medicare branches in Sydney and in Canberra's north.
Kandola got rebates from Medicare totalling about $2500.
He was eventually detected – the crime was not described in court as sophisticated – and pleaded guilty to 11 charges in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.
Magistrate Robert Cook then sentenced Kandola to two months imprisonment, which was fully suspended.
He will be forced to repay the money and was placed on a good behaviour order.
The court heard Kandola had a drug habit, and was also struggling with mental health issues.
He had suffered a traumatic upbringing, the court heard, but had since taken steps to get his life back on track.
Mr Cook told Kandola that "there was a plan to what you did".
He said Kandola had clearly undermined and taken advantage of the system to take money from Australian taxpayers.
Mr Cook said the sentence needed to deter others from committing similar crimes and must also denounce his conduct.
Kandola's good behaviour order will last 18 months.
The court heard he had no criminal history.