The former general manager of Australia's largest First Nations media group has been jailed for stealing $130,000 worth of equipment, which he then resold or kept for himself.
Robert Mitchell, 39, last week pleaded guilty in the Northern Territory Supreme Court for the conduct, which occurred during his time working at the Alice Springs-based Central Australian Media Association (CAAMA).
The court heard Mitchell had worked his way up the ranks in the organisation after being head-hunted by the Aboriginal-owned broadcaster in 2011.
The theft took place over two years, starting in mid-2018, with Mitchell using company credit cards or bank accounts to purchase equipment that he then stored in two vans that he parked away from his home.
Some of the stolen items were resold on online marketplace eBay using his personal account, however, the seller's fee was paid for out of CAAMA's purse.
The court heard Mitchell fraudulently purchased around 100 pieces of equipment in total, with CAAMA's financial position deteriorating while the theft was taking place.
The broadcaster was placed into special administration in March 2020.
A newly appointed chief executive then advised Mitchell that his contract would not be renewed, with his employment due to end in June that year.
In August 2020, NT Police executed the first of a series of search warrants on Mitchell's home and the premises where he stored the vans.
They uncovered many of the items that had been reported stolen, as well as gear that was purchased from a musical instrument shop using company finances.
Offending damaging to 'most disenfranchised communities'
In a victim impact statement to the court, CAAMA's current chief executive Sonya De Masi said Mitchell had "contributed directly to the demise" of the long-running organisation, and that his actions had been "to the detriment of some of Australia's most disenfranchised communities".
CAAMA was established in the 1980s as Australia's first Aboriginal radio stations, and has since expanded to 12 remote broadcast studios that reach Indigenous communities across the country.
The court also heard that Mitchell had expressed remorse for his actions, and had contributed to "the planning and delivery of many worthwhile projects" while employed at CAAMA.
Mitchell was given a head sentence of one year and nine months, to be suspended after three months in prison.
Motivated by 'greed and personal financial gain'
In sentencing, Chief Justice Michael Grant said Mitchell's offending was repetitive and had happened over an extended period of time.
He said Mitchell would "no doubt" have continued the fraud had an administrator not been appointed earlier.
"You were in a position of both trust and authority within the association … You abused that trust and authority to facilitate your criminal conduct," he said.
"Your offending involved a significant degree of planning, sophistication, subterfuge and premeditation."
The chief justice said there was no apparent motivation for the thefts beyond "greed and personal financial gain".
Mitchell was sentenced on the basis that the value of the stolen equipment was $40,000, which his lawyer argued would be the amount he would get for selling the items second-hand.
