PHOTO: The Fall of a Real Estate Star. FILE
Disgraced Auckland real estate agent Aaron Drever, once one of the country’s top property sellers, has been sentenced to another eight months in prison for concealing income while bankrupt.
The convicted fraudster, already serving time for previous insolvency crimes, faced the Auckland District Court this week after admitting to deception and misleading the Official Assignee.
Disgraced Real Estate Agent Aaron Drever Appeals Prison Sentence, Citing “Savage” Prison Assault
💰 Concealed Income and Premeditated Deception
The court heard that while employed by an Auckland catering company, Drever earned $48,114.94 between November 2023 and July 2024 — money he deliberately failed to declare.
Instead of using the funds to repay creditors, Drever spent the income on himself, all while claiming to the Official Assignee that his only income was a state benefit.
“Mr Drever’s offending was premeditated,” said Vanessa Cook, manager of the Business Registries Investigations and Compliance team. “He knew his obligations as a bankrupt and wilfully ignored them.”
Cook said the deception meant Drever’s creditors were denied repayment and the public trust in the insolvency process was undermined.
🚨 Breaking Insolvency Laws — Again
This latest sentence comes on top of Drever’s existing 15-month jail term, imposed earlier this year for breaching insolvency restrictions and impersonating a wealthy businessman.
Cook confirmed Drever, bankrupted in 2019, continued to manage or control businesses despite being legally banned under the Insolvency Act 2006.
“The sentencing reinforces that the Act exists to protect the public from individuals who have been unscrupulous, incompetent, or irresponsible in business,” Cook said.
https://www.propertynoise.co.nz/former-top-real-estate-agent-faces-more-jail-time/
🏚️ From Million-Dollar Deals to Prison Meals
Once a household name in Auckland’s booming property market, Drever sold hundreds of homes and earned millions in commission before his spectacular downfall.
He was stripped of his real estate licence for misconduct, then jailed in 2022 after stealing more than $100,000 from Auckland Speedway and pocketing nearly $500,000 from a property deal involving Avondale Bowling Club land.
After his release, he worked as a caterer but failed to disclose his income to insolvency officials — the deception that has now landed him back behind bars.
😔 “Recurring Nightmares” and a Brutal Prison Assault
Drever’s lawyer, Shannon Withers, told the court that Drever suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder following a vicious assault in prison in November 2022, when another inmate attacked him with a meat hook while he was working in the kitchen.
“Even now, I have recurring nightmares,” Drever said in a statement read to the court. “I wake up in a cold sweat, remembering the overwhelming sense of vulnerability.”
His lawyer argued that returning him to prison was “disproportionately severe” given the trauma he endured, but the Crown said Drever’s calculated deception warranted further jail time.
Judge David Johnstone dismissed the appeal, stating Drever had shown a “disregard for the constraints” placed upon him and an “unwillingness to accept accountability for the harm done to others.”
🔒 The Sentence
Drever accepted a sentencing indication of nine months’ imprisonment, ultimately reduced to eight months cumulative on top of his existing 15-month term.
The judge said the sentence reflected the seriousness of his deceit, his repeated offending while on bail, and the harm caused to creditors and public confidence.
🧠 The Bigger Picture
Aaron Drever’s downfall is one of New Zealand’s most dramatic real estate scandals — a cautionary tale of greed, deception, and relentless disregard for financial accountability.
His story highlights the strict expectations placed on bankrupt individuals, and the serious consequences when those obligations are ignored.