A MAN alleged to have fleeced more than a dozen small business owners from Mt Eliza to Rosebud over the past six months was arrested by Rosebud police last week.
The 49-year-old, from the Latrobe Valley, appeared at Frankston Magistrates’ Court last week and was further remanded to Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court next month. He faces multiple charges of deception, theft, breach of an intervention order, reckless conduct endangering injury and unlawful assault, with some of the charges arising from incidents unrelated to the alleged cons.
Leading Senior Constable Ian Huxtable, of Rosebud Police, said up to 13 traders had reported being fleeced of hundreds of dollars each. They said a man had simply walked into their businesses with a sob story, saying he had a business nearby but that his wife had driven off with his wallet, and asking if he could borrow some money until she returned. The amounts stolen ranged from $100-$200.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 19 June 2018
