Former Indigenous Leader Geoff Clark Sentenced for $1 Million Theft

Clark, 72, was convicted of stealing from Aboriginal organizations to fund personal legal fees and expenses over more than a decade.

Geoff Clark, former chair of the Torres Strait Islander Commission, was sentenced to six years and two months in prison for theft and fraud.
Clark was convicted on 25 charges, including theft, deception, perjury, and dealing with proceeds of crime, after stealing $922,214 from Indigenous organizations between 2001 and 2015.
Funds were used to cover personal legal fees, housing expenses, and other personal costs, with Judge Michael O’Connell describing the actions as a calculated betrayal of community trust.
Clark’s son, Jeremy Clark, was also convicted of theft and false accounting related to the misuse of $231,969 in community funds but received a wholly suspended two-year sentence.
The crimes, uncovered through a five-year investigation, have caused significant financial and emotional harm to the affected Aboriginal communities.