A contractor to Australia’s postal service has been sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment for using his position to take at least $400,000 worth of items including jewellery, designer luxury goods and alcohol, from mail packages.
The man, 43, was sentenced by the Downing Centre District Court yesterday (11 February, 2025) after he pleaded guilty to three offences in July, 2024.
He can be released after serving 15 months’ imprisonment on a recognizance release order, on the condition he is of good behaviour for two years.
The AFP began an investigation in May, 2023, after receiving a report regarding a man tampering with postal packages.
Further inquiries by the AFP resulted in the execution of a search warrant at the man’s Bexley home in May, 2023.
Investigators located a significant number of items, with a combined estimated value of $398,000, which the man had taken from mail packages between November, 2021, and May, 2023.
The items included:
Alcohol, with an estimated value of $138,000;
Luxury watches, with an estimated value of $124,000;
Gift cards, with a combined value of $52,000; and
Jewellery, with an estimated value of $43,000.
The AFP also located $39,000 in cash, which was the proceeds of crime from the sale of tobacco that the man had taken from mail packages.
Border controlled drugs, including 24g of methamphetamine, 17.8g of ketamine and small quantities of cocaine, MDMA and cannabis, were also seized from the man’s home.
The man pleaded guilty to:
Dishonestly appropriate article in the course of post, with the intention of permanently depriving the owners, contrary to section 471.1(a)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Possession of a controlled drug, contrary to section 308.1(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
Deal with money that was, and that was believed to be, the proceeds of indictable crime and at the time of the dealing the value of the money was $10,000 or more, contrary to section 400.6(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
AFP Acting Superintendent Stuart Millen said the AFP was committed to bringing to justice anyone who abused their trusted positions for their own selfish desires.
“Criminals are motivated by profit and greed and the AFP has zero tolerance for those who abuse employment access for their own illegal pursuits,” A/Supt Millen said.
“This was an opportunistic attempt to use a trusted position within Australia’s mail delivery system to profit, with no regard to its impact on the community.
“People with trusted access are critical to the successful operation of Australia’s trade sectors, but the AFP will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who abuse this trust.
“The AFP works closely with Australia Post to ensure trusted insiders abusing their position for criminal endeavours are dealt with swiftly to ensure public confidence in the Australian postal system.”
