David Lewis: Former aircraft engineer busted for doing drugs, making fake plates

An ex-aircraft engineer who lost his job over his drug use has been busted making fake plates in Gippsland.

A former aircraft engineer at Mahindra Aerospace has been busted creating fake licence plates and using drugs after police raided his house.

David Lewis, 45, faced the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, pleading guilty to a string of charges relating to the production of fake licence plates and possession of drugs.

The court heard at least eight fake plates were seized from his Traralgon home during a raid last year.

In June 2021, police conducted a search warrant at Lewis’ address where they found fake plates and tools commonly used to create them.

A motorbike and a car with fake plates, as well as anti-speed measuring devices — used to detect speed cameras — were also discovered.

In Lewis’s lounge room police uncovered 7.75g of cannabis and 8.55g of meth with a glass pipe.

When police searched Lewis’ bedroom they found more fake plates, a samurai sword and a USB filled with images of $50 notes.

David Lewis, 45, from Traralgon faced the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on Tuesday on a string of charges relating to the production of fake licence plates and possession of drugs.

They also found a vinyl printer which is commonly used to print the fake plates.

A search of Lewis’ phone revealed several text messages asking for fake plates to be made.

When police interviewed Lewis the court heard he said he had made a “couple” of plates and had the meth because he “smoked it”.

Lewis’ defence told the court it was never his “intent” to make fake plates, he purchased a vinyl printer to “make stickers” and he “somehow” ended up making plates.

Magistrate Louis Hill said the plates looked “very genuine”.

The court heard Lewis lost his job as an aircraft engineer due to his drug use and now worked in security and maintenance.

The prosecution told the court both “petrol drive offs” and “avoiding police” were “plagues” at the moment and the use of fake plates “aids this kind of offending”.

In February this year Lewis was released on bail for another matter, with the condition he did not possess any illicit drugs.

In March this year he was found with .4g of meth.

Lewis is already on a therapeutic community corrections order for a year and a half.

Magistrate Hill agreed to have Lewis assessed for another therapeutic community corrections order.