Tennant Creek AusPost manager Rebecca Liebelt pleads guilty to stealing $425,000

A former small town post office manager used a stolen slush fund to pay for bills, business investments and trips. See how her scheme worked here.

A FORMER small town post office manager will “inevitably” face prison after swindling more than $425,000 from AusPost.

Rebecca Liebelt, 37, appeared in the NT Supreme Court on Tuesday after stealing cash and obtaining property by deception while the franchisee of the Tennant Creek Australia Post.

Rebecca quietly uttered pleas of guilt as details of her two-year grift were read aloud.

The court heard the Tennant Creek Australia Post franchisee stole 425,749.95 in cash from the business between March 1, 2019 and May 8, 2021.

Rebecca sat with her husband and alleged co-offender, Greg Liebelt, 39, in the dock. The married couple were separated only by a court security guard.

Greg was charged with receiving $286,749.95 in stolen money via three jointly held accounts.

The livestock agent has previously argued he was not aware of the theft.

Barrister Peter Maley said her husband would contest the charges, with the case likely to proceed to trial in the Supreme Court.

Former Tennant Creek Australia Post manager Rebecca Liebelt leaving Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday July 26. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Court documents, provided to the NT News, said the money laundering scheme began with a $2000 fake deposit into a joint business account with her husband via the Australia Post Bank System.

The 37-year-old continued to deposit large sums from fake deposits into personal and business accounts owned and operated by her and her husband.

Almost monthly the AusPost franchisee would drop thousands of dollars into her accounts, at her peak dropping $80,600 across 12 fake deposits in December 2020.

Over 22 months she stole $404,749.95 using the fake deposit system.

“(She) utilised a network of seven bank accounts separated across four banks to launder and clean the funds stolen from Australia Post,” court documents said.

By repeatedly withdrawing cash, transferring across accounts and splitting the funds, Rebecca created a stolen slush fund to pay bills, buy personal goods, invest in business interests and pay for trips.

Court documents said the monthly cash was laundered back into the Tennant Creek Post Office by being bagged up to match the fake deposits.

“(Rebecca) would deliberately manipulate the internet access by unplugging the internet modem to cause system issues to assist her in avoiding the detection of financial irregularities,” court documents said.

Rebecca also admitted to stealing a further $21,000 in cash by collecting till takings that were less than the amount required to be placed in Armaguard bags in the safe.

“These smaller amounts of cash were placed in a green tin within a larger safe at the post office,” court documents said.

“She would allow cash to accumulate in the green tin and then access it for her own purposes or otherwise deposit it.”

Irregularities were flagged by AusPost security causing a surprise audit and police surveillance of Rebecca.

The post office manager made full admissions when interviewed by police, while most of the money was recovered Rebecca was ordered to repay $86,478.32.

“To date this debt has not been re-paid by the offender,” court documents said.

Greg Liebelt leaving Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday July 26. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Both husband and wife had their bail extended until their next court hearing on September 1.

Mr Maley asked for a home detention assessment and a supervision assessment for Rebecca in preparation for her upcoming sentencing.

But prosecutor Marty Aust warned that the crown would be pushing for a term of actual imprisonment given the severity of the charges.

“Obviously imprisonment is an inevitability,” prosecutor Marty Aust said.

It is yet to be confirmed if Greg’s trial will go to the Alice Springs or Darwin Supreme Court.

In June 2021 Australia Post took over the operations of the Tennant Creek post office following the investigation into the Liebelts.

Originally published as Tennant Creek AusPost manager Rebecca Liebelt pleads guilty to stealing $425,000