A man will face court today charged with property, drugs and weapons offences after allegedly defrauding an elderly man in the Lake Illawarra area.
On Wednesday 1 March 2023, officers from Lake Illawarra Police District commenced an investigation after a member of the public handed in a bag of driver licenses and war medals.
Following extensive inquiries, investigators arrested a 27-year-old man in Mowbray Lane, Warrawong, just before 1pm yesterday (Wednesday 5 April 2023).
During a search of the man, police located and seized an electronic stun device and prohibited drugs for forensic examination.
The man was taken to Wollongong Police Station, where he was charged with 12 offences, including:
- Dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception,
- Enter building/land with intent to commit indictable offence,
- Drive conveyance taken without consent of owner,
- Enter vehicle or boat without consent of owner/occupier,
- Shoplifting,
- Dispose property – theft – serious indictable offence,
- Goods in personal custody suspected being stolen (not motor vehicle) (two counts),
- Possess prohibited drug (two counts),
- Possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, and,
- Supply prohibited drug.
Police will allege in court that the man defrauded an 83-year-old man – who is known to him – of $15,000 between December 2022 and March 2023, as well as breaking into a shed on Fern Street, Windang, and stealing the war medals.
It will be further alleged the man broke into a business in Port Kembla and stole a Toyota Rav 4 on Sunday 19 March 2023 before he allegedly stole clothing from a department store in Crown Street, Wollongong on Sunday 26 March 2023.
He was refused bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court today (Thursday 6 April 2023).
