Levi John Mostyn pleads guilty to five fraud charges in Southport Magistrates Court after using stolen identification

A once-successful cafe owner has been convicted of stolen ID fraud after his life spiralled out of control due to drug use and the Covid-19 pandemic.

A once-successful cafe owner has been convicted of a stolen ID fraud after his life spiralled out of control due to drug use and the pandemic.

But Levi John Mostyn, 32, will not spend any extra time behind bars after pleading guilty to five fraud charges in Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

From May 18 to 25 last year, Mostyn used stolen identification to apply for a credit card on three different occasions, and a SIM card.

Mostyn ended up using methamphetamines.

All of Mostyn’s applications were unsuccessful.

Solicitor India Brady said her client’s criminal history began in 2019 and was a result of him “falling on hard financial times”.

She said Mostyn was using the stolen identification for “financial security”.

The 32-year-old owned successful cafes in NSW and was a cabinet maker before his divorce and subsequent relocation to the Gold Coast two years ago.

“He instructs that during Covid was when his life really started to derail. His cafes were under increasing financial stress and they ultimately closed down,” Ms Brady said.

“He instructs the combination of that financial stress and residing on the Gold Coast – where he had no family or friends and therefore no support – unfortunately led him down the path of using methamphetamines and has saw him come before the court.”

Mostyn owned successful cafes.

Mostyn appeared in court via videolink as he is currently serving a 17-month jail term for a number of other offences.

Had the fraud charges been dealt with at the same time, it’s likely Mostyn would have been sentenced for a short period to be served concurrently with the other terms, the court was told.

Magistrate Dzenita Balic took this factor and Mostyn’s early guilty plea into account when she handed down her sentence.

Mostyn used stolen identification to apply for a credit card on three different occasions, and a SIM card, the court was told. Picture: iStock

“Offences of dishonesty do have to attract objectively deterrent sentences because it is about sending a message to the community that you cannot obtain funds through dishonest means or attempt to, in your case, use people’s identification,” Ms Balic said.

“Because in today’s digital world that is a really significant issue.”

Mostyn was sentenced to three months imprisonment, to be suspended for an operational period of three months.

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Originally published as Levi John Mostyn pleads guilty to five fraud charges in Southport Magistrates Court after using stolen identification