A Sydney contractor for Australia Post has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for stealing a massive haul of items from mail packages, including luxury watches, jewellery, and gift cards, worth at least $400,000.
The Stolen Goods
The 43-year-old man from Bexley, who was working as an Australia Post contractor, went on a stealing spree between November 2021 and May 2023, taking advantage of his trusted position to get his hands on valuable items. The stolen goods included:
$138,000 worth of alcohol
$124,000 worth of luxury watches
$52,000 worth of gift cards
$43,000 worth of jewellery
The Investigation
The investigation into the thefts began in May 2023, after a report of a man tampering with postal packages.
A search warrant was executed at the man’s Bexley home, uncovering a staggering $398,000 worth of stolen items and $39,000 in cash, which was found to be the proceeds of crime from the sale of tobacco taken from mail packages.
The Sentence
The man pleaded guilty to three charges related to the postal theft, drug possession, and proceeds of crime.
He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, but can be released after serving 15 months if he behaves well for two years.
A Betrayal of Trust
Australian Federal Police acting Superintendent Stuart Millen said the man’s actions were a clear abuse of his trusted position.
“Criminals are motivated by profit and greed, and the AFP has zero tolerance for those who abuse employment access for their own illegal pursuits,” he said.
The AFP is working closely with Australia Post to ensure that trusted insiders who abuse their position for criminal activities are dealt with swiftly, to maintain public confidence in the Australian postal system.