Commonwealth prosecutors gather evidence in $10m NDIS fraud case against Gold Coast developer

Commonwealth prosecutors have gathered more than 90 witness statements and thousands of exhibits of evidence in their case against Gold Coast property developer David McWilliams.

Mr McWilliams was charged in June with 13 criminal offences related to an allegedly fraudulent $10 million NDIS property scheme.

The charges were laid after a two-year investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) into the activities of Mr McWilliams and his wife and business partner, Laura Fullarton.

ASIC alleges Mr McWilliams, as company director of ALAMMC Developments, dishonestly used investor funds earmarked for developing specialist disability accommodation projects in Queensland and Western Australia.

Investigators allege he spent more than $10 million on cryptocurrency, overseas investments, commercial and residential property and on a luxury sports car.

'Complications' with legal team

During a brief appearance in Southport Magistrates Court today, federal prosecutor Alice Tanzer-Wilde said 85 witness statements and more than 3,000 exhibits had been finalised and provided in a brief of evidence to Mr McWilliams's lawyers.

"There are still six witness statements outstanding, but we expect to be able to provide those by the 11th of September," Ms Tanzer-Wilde said.

Representing Mr McWilliams, Jack O'Callaghan told the court he was unsure if his firm would be retained at the next hearing date.

He said there were some "complications" with Mr McWilliams's ability to pay his legal fees.

"There are court-appointed receivers to Mr McWilliams's assets, so the release of funds for his representation is currently being resolved," Mr O'Callaghan said.

Mr McWilliams's assets were frozen in November 2024 by order of the Federal Court.

ASIC applied for Mr McWilliams to be held in contempt of those freezing orders in November 2025, after it alleged he and his wife spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on gambling and overseas trips.

An affidavit alleging further breaches of the freezing orders was then filed by ASIC in February.

In June, prior to being charged with any criminal offences, Mr McWilliams faced a four-day contempt hearing at the Federal Court in Brisbane, after which Justice O'Sullivan reserved his decision to a later date.

Mr McWilliams's ALAMMC group of companies wound up operations in October 2025 by order of the Federal Court.

Receivers appointed to the companies found Mr McWilliams had raised more than $90 million intended for disability housing projects, but that construction on most projects was either minimal or stopped entirely.

ASIC alleges ALAMMC Developments had started construction on only one of the six specialist accommodation projects linked to the charges.

Mr McWilliams's criminal charges return to Southport Magistrates Court in September.