THE teenage mastermind behind a scam which netted iPhones and other goods valued at $91,000 has been locked up for nine months.
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Anthony Arthur, 19, of Alison Avenue, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court this week to five counts of theft involving iPhones, SIM cards, jewellery, fuel and gift cards and DVDs while working for a freight company.
Police said 146 phones were among goods valued at $90,986.05 stolen by Arthur during a four-week period.
Ninety-two phones and 74 SIM cards have not been recovered by police. On October 29 last year police went to Arthur’s home and found 18 mobile phones, 11 $50 Woolworths gift cards, jewellery, two sets of earphones, 20 $20 Caltex gift cards, 47 Sim cards and four DVDs.
Arthur had been employed for 14 months by freight company StarTrack, unloading and delivering goods.
The court heard he did not scan some items he had to deliver and instead stole them.
StarTrack had to pay a subsidiary of Telstra almost $61,000 for missing iPhones, iPads and other devices.
Police allege Arthur sold phones and exchanged them for ice and other drugs and had advertised and sold one phone on Facebook. Arthur told police he had split up with his girlfriend at the time of his offending and was suffering depression and anxiety.
Police also obtained a string of text messages from Arthur to other associates which indicated negotiations relating to exchanging phones for drugs.
Magistrate Peter Mellas said it was clear from the text messages that Arthur was funding a drug habit, something he had failed to tell a psychologist.
“It sounds really, really murky,” Mr Mellas said.
“He’s breached the trust of his employer, the text messages indicate he’s funding a drug habit and he’s failed to tell a psychologist that.
“He denies having a drug habit and he’s not honest with the psychologist about his drug habit.”
Defence counsel Michele Downs said her client denied he had drug issues.
She said it had only been a matter of time before he was caught stealing the goods.
Ms Downs said Arthur distributed the stolen property to friends and there was a desperate element of trying to buy affection, which tied in with his depression and anxiety.
Mr Mellas said there was no alternative to Arthur being placed in custody, but he was only 19 years old and it was hoped that on his release he could make better life choices.
