A former strata manager from Coffs Harbour has been charged with more than 400 fraud-related offences after police alleged she misappropriated over $2 million from strata trust accounts over an extended period.
Jessica Marrie Carah, 30, was arrested by NSW Police following a lengthy investigation conducted under Strike Force Colebrook. Investigators allege that while employed at SMS Community & Strata Specialists, she transferred money from trust accounts belonging to numerous residential strata schemes into a personal bank account.
Police have charged Carah with 403 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime valued at more than $100,000. Authorities allege the funds were later used for personal expenses, including cryptocurrency investments, luxury goods and the purchase of an SUV.
The investigation began after irregularities were detected within strata trust accounts managed by the business. According to investigators, approximately 398 unauthorised transactions allegedly affected 66 separate strata schemes and 63 alleged victims, prompting a detailed financial investigation involving police and NSW Fair Trading.
Carah appeared before the Bail Division of the court via video link after her arrest. Police opposed her release, arguing the alleged offences represented a serious breach of trust and raised concerns about the possibility of further offending and interference with witnesses. The court refused bail, with the judge describing the allegations as extremely serious and noting the significant amount of money involved.
During the bail hearing, the defence submitted that Carah had been under pressure from a former partner and claimed the transferred money had been passed to that individual. The defence argued she acted under duress; however, the court determined there were insufficient grounds to grant bail at this stage. No pleas have yet been entered, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
Earlier this year, NSW Fair Trading permanently disqualified Carah from working in the property and strata management industry after its own investigation found she had unlawfully transferred more than $2 million from trust accounts. The regulator stated that affected strata schemes had either received insurance reimbursements or were in the process of seeking compensation through available schemes.
Carah remains in custody and is scheduled to return to Coffs Harbour Local Court on 15 July 2026, where the criminal proceedings will continue. The case has attracted significant attention because of the large number of alleged victims and the scale of the alleged financial misconduct involving residential strata funds.
