Bunnings fraud: James Koplick, former Dy-Mark paint rep, guilty

Inside job: A Logan man has fronted court after using his position to obtain thousands in expensive stock from Bunnings’.

A Logan man has fronted court for using his former position as a representative of a well-known paint company to swindle three Bunnings Warehouses of expensive stock worth thousands of dollars to feed his drug addiction.

Chambers Flat man James David Koplick, 28, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday to three counts of fraud by way of dishonestly obtaining property from another.

The court heard Koplick was a former employee of Wacol-based Dy-Mark, a well-known paint manufacturer of more than 50 years.

Chambers Flat man James David Koplick, 28. Picture: Facebook

Koplick’s offending occurred on December 16 and twice on December 19, 2019, committed against Bunnings Warehouses at Capalaba, Toombul and Indooroopilly.

On the first two occasions, the fraud involved Koplick, dressed in his Dy-Mark uniform, arriving at the Capalaba and Toombul outlets with fraudulent inter-store transfer of goods forms.

The forms claimed the goods he was taking, Makita tool kits and Euromatic portable airconditioners, were for transfer to another store, when in fact they were for Koplick’s personal gain.

Koplick’s third fraud, committed against Bunnings Warehouse Indooroopilly, was even more brazen – he simply walked behind the counter about 8.30pm, took a Makita tool kit, and walked out.

He was fired from Dy-Mark the following day, December 20.

None of the goods, which were worth $4156 in total, were recovered, and it was acknowledged to the court by defence lawyer Andrew McGinness the frauds were committed for the purpose of supporting his client’s drug addiction.

Mr McGinness told the court his client had since started working for the family cleaning business.

He said Koplick was engaging in support services including Narcotics Anonymous and psychology after a diagnosis of anxiety and depression.

Koplick was placed on a nine-month probation order and ordered to pay $4156 restitution to Bunnings Group.

No convictions were recorded.

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