Illawarra fraudster jailed after routine check busts Rian Kinloch’s bank card scheme

A magistrate has scorned an Illawarra criminal’s extensive rap sheet when sentencing him for a string of charges relating to an elaborate scam.

Rian Kinloch learnt his fate in Wollongong Local Court on Friday. Picture: Steven Bell

An Illawarra conartist, who police described as a “delinquent”, has copped a two-year jail sentence after being caught with dozens of stolen credit cards and 1500 blank bank cards.

Rian Kinloch appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Friday where he received his punishment after pleading guilty to five counts of being in possession of goods suspected to be stolen, four counts of possessing equipment to make identification information to commit an indictable offence, two counts of possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence and possession equipment to make a false document.

The 32-year-old was arrested at his Unanderra home in January after police exposed his scheme during a routine bail check.

Kinloch was on bail for a myriad of charges relating to driving, weapon and goods in custody offences which he has pleaded not guilty to and will face a hearing at Port Kembla Local Court in April.

Documents tendered in court stated Kinloch has a “warped sense of acceptable behaviour priding himself on the delinquent exploits in which he expresses himself”.

It also stated he has a “blatant disregard for law, safety and welfare of the community” and “no positive community ties” due to “spending all of his time associating” with criminals.

Kinloch is subject to a firearm prohibition order, however, when officers went to check his Carr Pd address in Unanderra on Tuesday morning he slammed the door in their faces.

After hearing Kinloch moving or throwing items inside, they opted to barge their way in where they managed to handcuff him as he was trying to escape through a bedroom window.

The documents stated police noticed numerous blank bank cards known to be used by criminal networks engaging in fraudulent activities.

Rian Kinloch will be in jail until January, 2025.

A crime scene was established with investigators granted a search warrant to delve deeper.

More than 1500 blank counterfeit cards were seized as well as a magnetic strip writer encoder, a digital card printer and a label card printer.

Police also seized 33 blank Commonwealth Bank and Westpac cards and a host of other dodgy or stolen documents which included a Norfolk Islands driver’s licence.

In court on Friday, Magistrate Chris McRobert labelled Kinloch’s criminal history as “quite concerning” and dismissed submissions he had been targeted by the police.

“Many years ago when I was a children’s court magistrate a mother complained to me her son was being targeted,” Mr McRobert said in front of Kinloch’s mother, sister and brother-in-law.

“I said what can he expect if he keeps stealing cars and I say the same to Mr Kinloch. He keeps offending and police have a job to do by targeting criminal behaviour.”

The magistrate said Kinloch was not entitled to a reduction in his sentence for his early guilty plea given his rap sheet and jailed the offender for two years from when he went into custody on January 31, 2023.

“Given his history and the seriousness of these matters he can get no less than a term of full-time imprisonment,” Mr McRobert said.

“I do not accept he must serve anything less than full-time imprisonment.

“He is a person who has been sentenced to a significant number of periods in prison, but that has been no deterrent given his criminal history … There are no great prospects of rehabilitation in Mr Kinloch’s case.”