Albion Osmani pleads guilty to role in 12,000 e-cigarette fraud in Belconnen

The wheelman involved in a plot to rip off a Facebook Marketplace seller of 12,000 e-cigarettes with fake cash in Canberra told his co-offender he was ‘down’ with the scheme, court documents reveal.

Albion Osmani entering the ACT Supreme Court on May 26, 2023 for his sentence. Picture: Sam Turner

The getaway driver in a hairbrained scheme to rip off a Facebook Marketplace seller of thousands of e-cigarettes by giving them $63,600 in fake paper money has been sentenced.

An ACT Supreme Court judgment released earlier this month revealed Albion Osmani, 25, was given a suspended jail term in late May for his role in the charade after pleading guilty to obtaining property by deception.

The remarks were published following guilty pleas from co-offenders Majad Khan Khan, Amro Aseeri and Joshua Alan Rhodes for their part in the daring escapade at Belconnen on May 15, 2021.

Agreed facts state Osmani was involved in the scheme to buy 12,000 e-cigarettes from a Facebook Marketplace seller in exchange for $63,600.

The group colluded to make the exchange in Belconnen where Khan left the scene with the product while Rhodes gave the seller envelopes with the “cash”.

Albion Osmani outside the ACT Supreme Court.

Inside these envelopes however was paper cut to the size of bank notes, with numbers written on the front to indicate how much “money” was inside.

“There’s no money,” the buyer said, according the facts. “Catch him!”

Osmani was the getaway driver in the scheme.

Rhodes ran to Osmani waiting in the getaway vehicle and they both fled the scene.

The stolen e-cigarettes were never recovered.

In his judgement, Justice David Mossop said there was dispute as to the 25-year-old’s involvement, with the facts showing Osmani talking to Aseeri about the plan in the lead up to the meeting.

“You’re the driver … I’m the talker,” Aseeri said during one text conversation.

“I’m down,” Osmani replied.

Justice Mossop said the texts show Osmani had knowledge of the scheme but do not indicate him as a leader but rather a follower.

“While his role was important in order to permit Mr Rhodes to escape, on the evidence available he appears to have played a subordinate role in the planning of the scheme,” the Supreme Court Judge said.

The court was told Osmani, who was born in Serbia before moving to Australia at the age of two, had a turbulent friendship with Aseeri which involved “controlling behaviour and financial abuse”, where the 25-year-old gave his mate $10,000 which was ultimately never returned.

References tendered to the court spoke the 25-year-old as “overly trusting” and “very naive” at times, describing a decline in his mental health after he was charged. He however had strong family connections.

The court was told Osmani had no criminal history and was a low risk of reoffending.

Judge Mossop sentenced Osmani to 12 months’ jail, suspended for two years.