Man trades fake gold for e-bike

In November twenty twenty-three, David Robert Meade contacted a man selling an electric mountain bike for seven thousand five hundred dollars on Facebook Marketplace and offered to trade three gold bars for it.

The fake bars looked authentic

Meade met the victim in Batemans Bay with three gold bars in separate cases.Each bar had a serial number and was branded with Credit Suisse.

Victim discovers the deception

In January twenty twenty-four, the victim asked Meade for authentication papers but received no response.In November twenty twenty-five, he saw a social media post identifying Meade as someone who had sold fake gold bullion previously.

Meade's debts and addiction

Meade's lawyer told Batemans Bay Local Court that he had significant debts to drug dealers at the time and was dealing with methamphetamine and opioid addiction.

“significant debts to drug dealers”

Court orders repayment and community time

Judge Doug Dick said the man before him was not the same desperate man from his previous sentencing.

“not the same desperate man”