A former director of an Australian disability support provider now faces the possibility of fifteen years in prison. The charges stem from allegations of misusing over $858,000 of company funds for personal gain.
Byson James Kete Turner, previously a director of Links Support and Consulting Services, an organization dedicated to assisting individuals through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, is at the center of the investigation. He stands accused of diverting substantial sums to various gambling and trading platforms.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) launched a detailed investigation into Turner’s financial activity, uncovering a pattern of suspicious transactions. Their findings led to a series of serious criminal charges.
Turner now faces eight counts of dishonestly exploiting his position as a director for personal advantage. Each of these charges carries a potential sentence of up to fifteen years imprisonment. He also faces two additional charges for failing to comply with mandatory ASIC examinations, each punishable by a maximum of two years in jail.
Between September 2019 and July 2022, it’s alleged Turner orchestrated 2,782 separate transfers, totaling $858,948, from Links Support and Consulting Services directly into gambling accounts held in his own name. The scale of the alleged deception is staggering.
The accounts allegedly used for these transfers paint a clear picture of Turner’s activities. They include prominent gambling operators like Sportsbet, TABTouch, NetLotto, and Plus500AU, alongside lottery services like LottoGo and Lotterywest.
Adding to the severity of the accusations, Turner repeatedly refused to cooperate with ASIC’s investigation. He failed to attend two separate, legally compelled examinations in May 2024, further obstructing the regulatory body’s efforts.
Turner appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on February 6, 2026, but the case has been adjourned until April 17, 2026. The prosecution is being handled by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth).
The financial fallout from this alleged misconduct has already been significant. Links Support and Consulting Services was placed under the control of a liquidator on February 14, 2023, signaling the company’s financial collapse.
