Melbourne painter Rami Hoblos jailed for identity theft, stalking and extortion racket
A debt-ridden Melbourne painter who threatened to kill a woman in her sleep rorted his parents, hoodwinked a Brighton doctor and stole the identities of several others while working at their homes to bankroll heavy gambling losses.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Melbourne painter lived a double life as a fraudster and blackmailer to cover heavy gambling losses at Crown Casino, a court has heard.
Rami Hoblos ripped off his parents, extorted a Preston sports store owner, fleeced multiple clients, including a Brighton doctor and menaced a woman between July 2016 and March 2019.
Hoblos, 29, was sentenced in the County Court on May 27 to a minimum three years’ jail after pleading guilty to 21 charges including fraud, stalking and blackmail offences.
The court heard the fraudster snuck into his clients’ homes and copied their credit card, driver’s licence and Medicare details.
Hoblos, who worked for Statewide Painting and Decorating, kicked-off his identity theft racket while painting a victim’s Hoppers Crossing home in December 2017.
He then plundered the identities of multiple victims – including his parents and uncle – and attempted to obtain more than $700,000 through loans, credit cards and purchases.
However, Hoblos only managed to rort $65,000 before he was arrested in August 2018.
Hoblos, on bail at the time of the offending, was granted bail again.
After his release from custody Hoblos stalked and menaced a Mt Eliza woman who hired him to perform handyman work.
Hoblos sent the victim dozens of threatening messages, including one in which he threatened to kill the woman in her sleep.
He forced a friend to tell police a fib how he had used Hoblos’ phone to send the messages.
The plan backfired and Hoblos was remanded.
Police charged Hoblos for his scheme to extort a Preston sports store owner in July 2016.
Hoblos contacted the Preston sports store owner with a tale of how “criminals” had placed drugs in his home, and inside his car.
Hoblos, who also claimed the car was stolen, demanded $250,000 in exchange for “locking the criminals up”.
The court heard Hoblos had a “longstanding” issue with gambling.
Hoblos was “attracted to the environment” of Crown Casino, the court heard.
The painter blew big money at the casino, and owed big gambling debts during his offending period.
Judge Susan Cohen said Hoblos committed “deceptive conduct”.
“You didn’t see yourself prevented from using any of it (victims’ identities) in attempts to obtain financial advantage for yourself,” she said.
“However much financial strain you were under, this lack of seeing of barriers and willingness to use other people’s personal information dishonestly is, in my view, of great concern.
“The fact you were not particularly successful in your attempts to gain money through those deceptions does not reduce the seriousness of the dishonest conduct.”
Judge Cohen also said Hoblos’ offending against his stalking victim was “vindictive and nasty”
Hoblos – who had spent 434 days in custody – was jailed for a maximum four years and four months.
MORE NEWS
LOCAL FOOTY LEGEND'S DOUBLE LIFE AS CHEQUE FRAUDSTER EXPOSED
KFC STING UNEARTHS JUNIOR GANG'S GUN, DRUG, STOLEN CAR EMPIRE