How the $6m Barossa ‘wine swindle’ compares with other SA heists
A Barossa man allegedly swindled around $6 million from his victims by promising wine but never delivered – so we looked back at some of SA’s other heists.
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A Barossa man who allegedly swindled nearly $6 million out of people by promising them wine and not supplying it to them, is just one of many heists South Australia has seen in recent years.
Detectives from the Serious and Organised Financial Crime Investigation Section arrested a man, 51, from the Barossa on Monday for theft and deception.
They charged him with 15 counts of theft and one count of deception.
He was bailed to appear in the Tanunda Magistrates Court in September.
Barossa Mayor Bim Lange said the theft was a significant hit to the region.
Mr Lange said a bottle of Grange wine would go for a minimum of $100 a bottle, if buyers were conservative.
He said he expected the theft related to wine that was more up-market.
“The Barossa has been affected with things like droughts, and theses ongoing things, the coronavirus so wine sales are down … so that volume of money has a flow-on effect on the community,” Mr Lange said.
Barossa Grape and Wine Association have been approached for comment.
Other notorious heists South Australia has endured over the years include:
THE GRAND TOOL PINCHER
Philip John Rollond was accused of stealing $1.5 million of farming and car-racing equipment over 10 years across South Australia and Queensland. Officers allegedly recovered $960,000 worth of equipment, before attending Rollond’s property in March 2016, where they seized a further eight semi-trailers worth $575,000.
The haul included a 13.5m-long purpose built car racing transport semi-trailer, which was stolen from Burra in August of 2015.
Police say the thefts occurred between 2008 and 2015.
He was found guilty of receiving at least $370,000 of stolen machinery over seven years and is appealing the finding.
He has argued he should avoid jail time due to his role as a prosecution witness in a murder trial.
THE MYSTERIOUS BICYCLE BANDIT
The Bicycle Bandit is linked to one of the best-known series of unsolved SA thefts - at least 11 armed robberies on banks in the Adelaide Hills and nearby country locations.
Detectives have collected DNA in relation to the robberies on various banks, but he remains on the run.
In each incident, the man was armed with a firearm, and threatened staff at banks from 2004 to 2014.
He is described as being caucasian, approximately 180 to 186 cm tall, medium to stocky build, fair complexion and who speaks with a strong Australian accent.
When committing the robberies he normally wore a dark-coloured balaclava and/or motorcycle helmet, dark-coloured water proof jacket, full length dark coloured cargo type pants and white sandshoes.
On four occasions he was seen leaving the scene of the robbery on a bicycle and on five occasions by foot.
In February this year, Crime Stoppers put out a $100,000 reward to offer the identity of the man.
The robberies include:
11.30am Friday 21 May 2004 at ANZ Mannum
11.50am Monday 26 July 2004 at ANZ Lobethal
11.30am Thursday 17 March 2005 at BankSA Blackwood
2.10pm Monday 19 September 2005 at BankSA Mt Pleasant
12.02pm Friday 21 April 2006 at BankSA Tanunda
1.25pm Thursday 14 December 2006 at ANZ Yankalilla
11.35am Thursday 26 July 2007 at BankSA Mt Pleasant
1.48pm Friday 14 September 2007 at ANZ Yankalilla
11.45am Friday 27 June 2008 at ANZ Balaklava
11.15am Friday June 26 2009 at BankSA Willunga
11.39am Thursday 4 September 2014 at BankSA Mt Pleasant
THE CHARDONNAY DRAINER
A Barossa winemaker broke into a neighbouring winery and drained $300,000 of chardonnay in February 2017.
Trevor David Jones, a man who had been in the wine industry for more than 30 years, went to Kellermeister Wines and opened valves to drain 27,000L of wine from four tanks.
Jones, then 57, was a winemaker and production manager for Kellermeister Wines until 2010, when he and his wife started their own winery called Epernay.
Jones was sentenced to three years and seven months jail with a non-parole period of 18 months – which was fully suspended for two years.
District Court Judge Jane Schammer said the offending was serious and at the height of the vintage season.
She said Jones was struggling with his father’s decision to sell the family winemaking business, Kellermeister, to Mark Pearce in 2013.
STATE LIBRARY WAR ARTEFACT NABBER
Mystery surrounds more than 150 historical Boer War diaries, papers, and artefacts that were stolen from the State Library’s restricted area up to 11 years ago.
The items include up to 150 papers and documents, as well as artefacts like a compass and a fob watch. Police checked with specialists antique dealers, auction houses and online sales outlets, but the mystery remains unsolved.
All items stolen related to a single family, with the surname White.
Descendants of the White family were notified, but were not treated as suspects in the incident.
DODGY ACCOUNTANT SWINDLES INVESTORS
An accountant who stole more than $1.3 million for a group of private investors was charged with 37 offences to pay for multiple investment properties across North Adelaide.
Peter Mark Dunham most recently faced court in April this year. The 75-year-old former chartered accountant lied to the investors, whose contributions ranged between $60,000 and $530,000 about where their money had gone.
Between August 2008 and July 2015, Dunham moved money around to create the illusion of successful investments.
Creditors began civil proceedings to recoup their losses and attempted to claim a baggy green cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman, worth $150,000 – but have so far been unsuccessful.
