Austin Ross Lobegeier jailed for almost a year after Facebook fraud

A Queensland man has pleaded guilty to scamming people on Facebook and seven other crimes after spending almost a year behind bars in a Brisbane jail.

Austin Ross Lobegeier, 24, appeared from jail via videolink on Thursday, May 29, and pleaded guilty to eight charges, including two counts of Facebook fraud, stealing a car, stealing fuel, two other counts of stealing, driving unlicensed and failing to properly dispose of a needle.

A young Gympie man who scammed at least two people on Facebook spent the best part of the last year behind bars before pleading guilty to fraud and a raft of other offences in the Gympie Magistrates Court.

Austin Ross Lobegeier, 24, appeared from jail via videolink on Thursday, May 29, and pleaded guilty to eight charges, including two counts of fraud, stealing a car, stealing fuel, two other counts of stealing, driving unlicensed and failing to properly dispose of a needle.

Austin Ross Lobegeier, 24, appeared from jail via videolink on Thursday, May 29, and pleaded guilty to eight charges, including two counts of fraud, stealing a car, stealing fuel, two other counts of stealing, driving unlicensed and failing to properly dispose of a needle.

The court heard Lobegeier had a five-page criminal history and a three-page traffic history and that he had spent the past 294 days in pre-sentence custody.

It ordered he pay restitution of $200 and $170 to the victims of his Facebook fraud, and that he be released immediately on parole because of the time he had already served.

Magistrate Bevan Hughes told Lobegeier “I am of the view that your prospects of rehabilitation are still good”. His parents were present in the court.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Austin Ross Lobegeier jailed for almost a year after Facebook fraud