Mitchell Douglas Costanzo sentenced for Facebook Marketplace fraud

A Moreton Bay man has fraudulently left six new victims more than $2000 out of pocket with a magistrate telling the man he’s learnt nothing from his extensive history of fraud.

Mitchell Douglas Costanzo leaving Pine Rivers‘ Magistrates Court in September, 2022. Picture: Madeline Grace

A court north of Brisbane has heard how a North Lakes man swindled more than $2000 from a total of six victims on Facebook Marketplace.

Mitchell Douglas Costanzo, 24, pleaded guilty to seven charges of fraud via video link in Redcliffe Magistrates Court on April 26.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Kirstine Bambrick told the court that between May 12, 2021 and October 17, 2022, Costanzo advertised items for sale on Facebook Marketplace, which included $2270-worth of vacuums and a nine carat gold necklace.

On six occasions, the victims transferred the money for the items but Costanzo never sent them — instead he deleted his account and ceased all communications with the victims.

“If you look back through his history, even the matters from July 4 in the district court, numerous frauds, his whole history is littered with frauds,” Sgt Bambrick said.

Mitchell Douglas Costanzo leaving Pine Rivers' Magistrates Court in September of 2022. Picture: Madeline Grace

The court heard Costanzo committed four of the offences while on parole for like offending after being sentenced in the Brisbane District Court on July 4, 2022 for 23 counts of fraud, armed robbery and breach of bail.

The court also heard those fraud offences were valued at more than $4000 and he received a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment with immediate parole.

On January 10, 2023, Costanzo pleaded guilty to 10 fraud charges in the Redcliffe Magistrates Court.

For five of those charges he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with immediate parole eligibility.

Costanzo’s Lawyer Farah Haddad said prior to the 24-year-old’s incarceration, he was working a job repairing shipping containers and that job was available on his release.

Mr Haddad added Costanzo has been in custody since October 22, 2022 for this latest round of offending.

“He (Costanzo) tells me he struggles with a sports gambling addiction,” Mr Haddad said.

“The six months he’s spent in custody was not easy, it gave him time to reflect on his actions and the impact on the victims.”

In sentencing, Magistrate Rowan Silva commented on how Costanzo had committed some of the fresh offences while released on parole.

“It appears you learnt nothing from your sentencing on similar kinds of offences,” Mr Silva said.

“They’re individual people in each case who have paid you money, you know nothing about those people’s circumstances.

“They may be struggling, they may be finding it hard to get by but they felt they might’ve been getting a bargain.”

For the four fraud offences committed while on parole, Costanzo was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, with immediate parole eligibility to be served concurrently with six months’ imprisonment he received on January 10, 2023.

For the other two fresh fraud charges not committed whilst on parole, Costanzo was convicted and not further punished but ordered to pay $2270 restitution to all six victims.