Former NSW MP's associate avoids prison in visa fraud case

Maggie Ning Logan, also identified as Maggie Wang, was handed a combined prison term of two years and ten months along with 240 hours of community service after being found guilty of two counts related to a fraudulent visa operation involving former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire. Judge Frank Veltro allowed the sentence to be served in the community, meaning Logan is unlikely to be incarcerated. The court heard she assisted migration agent Monica Hao in filing 19 visa applications containing false or misleading information, and acted as a liaison between sponsoring businesses and Chinese applicants who either never arrived or worked beyond visa limits.

For her involvement, Logan received payments ranging from $60,000 to $80,000 and a $5,000 cash bonus per successful filing. The judge described her as psychologically vulnerable, citing diagnoses of PTSD and major depressive disorder, and accepted her expressed remorse and progress in rehabilitation. While her role was deemed less serious than Maguire's, the sentencing underscored the seriousness of undermining the visa system's integrity. Maguire, convicted of conspiracy last month, is scheduled for sentencing in October and intends to appeal the verdict.