Mark Roberts: Karingal Hub fake $50s conman caught red-handed
A swindler who ripped off a clothing shop by using phony ‘pineapples’ now has a lot less real cash in his pocket.
South East
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A scamming stealer who conned a Frankston store out of cash using counterfeit $50 notes has been hit with a big fine.
Mark Llewellyn Roberts would ‘purchase’ the cheapest items he could find and hand over a dodgy $50, pocketing the change and walking out.
The Somerville 30-year-old former plasterer twice ripped off the same Karingal Hub Best and Less store before being caught trying the same ruse a third time.
He pleaded guilty to four dishonesty-related offences at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The court heard Roberts first performed his phony $50 trick in late August 2019.
He walked into the shop, purchased a kid’s T-shirt that was on special for $3 and went to the register.
He gave the busy assistant the pretend pineapple and left with $47 in proper currency.
Two days later he did the same thing, this time buying a $6 key ring and leaving with $44.
When management checked their tills they realised they had been duped and went back through their CCTV, identifying Roberts as the culprit.
A few days later, and unbeknown to Roberts that staff were into him, he walked in again.
As he purchased another $6 key ring and handed over another counterfeit $50, security pounced and police were called in.
In Roberts’ pocket there were four more dodgy $50 notes and he was arrested.
He told cops he had “no idea” the money wasn’t genuine, saying he had been paid $200 for some labouring work he had done.
When asked who for, he named someone who didn’t exist and gave a phone number that was disconnected.
His defence lawyer said his client lacked insight and had poor judgment at the time due to mental health and drug issues.
He said Roberts was now on better medication, didn’t smoke cannabis anymore and since the offending 18 months ago hadn’t committed any more crimes.
He said he was unemployed, was being supported by his family and had assistance from the NDIS.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said the explanation he gave as to why he had counterfeit currency was “quite bizarre”.
Roberts was convicted and fined $750, and ordered to repay $100 to Best and Less.
