An arrest warrant has been issued for a phoney car salesman who failed to turn up to his sentencing for diverting revenue of nearly $50,000 to himself and stealing several cars from his employer.
Steven Mac was working at Lennock Motors in Phillip where he committed the offences in separate incidents during August and September of 2021, a statement of facts tendered to the ACT Magistrates Court in July reads.
The highest trade-in valued car the 36-year-old stole was a $44,000 Volkswagen Golf that a customer had swapped for a $69,500 BMW 2 Series.
After the dealership realised the Golf was missing in the car yard, checks with the ACT Road Transport Authority showed Mac had transferred the car's ownership to himself.
The largest financial amount he took from his employer was $26,000 when a customer bought a $50,000 Ford Ranger, with the customer receiving a trade-in allowance of $24,000 for his Audi A5.
Mac had sent his personal banking account details, which he purported to be those of Lennock Motors, to the customer to transfer the outstanding amount.
After the money came through, Mac put the Audi under his name.
Another incident involved the offender, whose listed address is in Bossley Park in NSW, getting a customer to pay him nearly $19,000 in cash for a BMW X3.
The brakes were put on his run of thefts and fraudulent ways after he stole a Mazda 3, worth $16,000, from his employer and drove it across the border.
NSW Police found and arrested him after the dealership noticed the vehicle was missing.
The facts state compensation of about $110,000 will be sought.
The case returned to court on Wednesday after Mac pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and two of obtaining property by deception.
However, he failed to turn up.
The court heard he had not been engaging with the pre-sentence report author who tried contacting him.
Prosecutor Tahlia Drumgold said the offender may not be aware about that, but he was certainly aware about the court date.
"I have also tried to contact Mr Mac myself to no avail," she said.
Ms Drumgold said court information suggested he may now be residing with his mother rather than his listed address in NSW.
Magistrate James Lawton said "I think I'll just have to issue an arrest warrant" and did so.
The court heard the sentencing may be applied to go to the Supreme Court.
