Prince Alfred College student Samuel Chaiyaphop Peter fined after pleading guilty over money laundering role in Snapchat puppy scam

An Adelaide court has heard he was not the only student at the exclusive private school to answer a Snapchat ad promising easy money.

Students at one of Adelaide’s most prestigious all-boys private schools participated in money laundering for a Cameroon online puppy scammer, a court has heard.

On Wednesday, Samuel Chaiyaphop Peter, 21, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to be sentenced for his role in a scheme that saw at least 10 people scammed out of thousands of dollars.

Mark Twiggs, for Peter, told the court his client was an 18-year-old Year 12 student at Prince Alfred College when he answered an advertisement on Snapchat to “make quick money”.

Former PAC student Samuel Chaiyaphop Peter, 21, from Gilberton, leaves court. Picture: Ben Clark

“He contacted (the advert maker), as several other people from the school also did,” Mr Twiggs said.

The court heard no other PAC students who may have been participants in the scheme were charged with any offences.

Magistrate Simon Smart agreed with prosecutors it would be “blindingly obvious” to “any reasonable person” the money received was “tainted”.

“It’s from a number of factors, someone he has not met from a Snapchat account with what looks to be a pseudonym … the fact he has opened and closed ten accounts, the fact he is given instructions to send the money to Bitcoin and he is given a false narrative to tell the bank,” Mr Smart said.

“All of which would be clear indicators, to a reasonable person, that those were stolen or the funds were the proceeds of crime

“In fact you might even say it would be blindingly obvious.”

Peter, of Gilberton, was instructed to receive funds into his personal bank accounts from JonesPlug, a Cameroon individual running an online puppy sale scam between September 25, 2021 and June 29, 2022.

The court heard other students from Prince Alfred College responded to the online advertisement. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / Emma Brasier

The funds were then transferred to a Bitcoin account, which was accessible by JonesPlug.

The court heard Peter stood to gain 5 per cent of the scammed money from his participation, which amounted to $1341.

Prosecutors said Peter opened 10 bank accounts across two financial institutions during his offending, and grew frustrated as the banks closed or froze them due to suspicious activity.

Mr Twiggs submitted that his client grew “annoyed” at the banks opening and closing accounts and decided to cease participating in the process.

The court heard after Peter decided to stop, he received threats from JonesPlug – including Google maps images of his home with threats to burn it down.

Mr Twiggs told the court Peter’s family moved interstate following the threats, and he continued to deal with funds, which Mr Twiggs said was “more than foolish”.

He was not charged for offending following the threats being received.

Peter pleaded guilty to money laundering, a conviction was recorded and was fined $1400, reduced from $2000 by his early guilty plea.

Compensation for the portion of funds received by Peter were ordered for all but one of the victims.

Prince Alfred College was contacted for comment.