KEY POINTS:
Kahu Rangiawha thought he was getting a good deal paying $80 cash for a pig. But Mr Rangiawha, a civilian jailer at the Rotorua police station, never saw the pig.
He also thought he'd seen the last of Tiwini Thrupp, the man who took his $80 - until Thrupp showed up in a Rotorua police cell, where Mr Rangiawha was his jailer.
"I said, 'Hello, how are you?' "
Thrupp replied: "Oh, you work here ... how long have you been here?"
Mr Rangiawha replied: "How long have you been here?"
Mr Rangiawha, who is also the Ngongotaha Bowling Club president, said Thrupp had come across as a nice guy after approaching him about joining the club. "Obviously, you have got to be nice to be a conman. Unfortunately I got hit."
Thrupp, 51, pleaded guilty in the Rotorua District Court this week to 22 charges of fraud.
He preyed mainly on Ngongotaha people, conning $3120 out of 22 people, workplaces and clubs between February and July this year. He also admitted scamming $9871 from Work and Income.
Rotorua police prosecutor Aroha Cooper told the court that Thrupp would offer to do work or supply goods, ask for cash up front, but never deliver.
He told the victims he was selling goods for sports fundraising.
People were offered roofing iron, pork, pigs, goat meat, wooden framing and spouting, and repair work.
He told police he used the money for everyday living costs, Ms Cooper said.
The Rotorua Family Holiday Park in Ngongotaha was also targeted. Owner Reece Kendrick said he initially thought Thrupp was a "good joker". Thrupp claimed he had ordered too much pork for an event at the adjacent Ngongotaha rugby fields and offered to sell the leftover meat.
"Even when we had placed the order he kept in touch," Mr Kendrick said.
But the meat was never delivered.
Rotorua police area commander Inspector Bruce Horne said that although it was accepted business practice to pay a deposit for services or goods there was a lot of risk in paying the total amount up front. It was important to check a seller's credentials.
He urged anyone else who might have been a victim of Thrupp to take civil action to recover money owed.
Thrupp also pleaded guilty to driving while forbidden, failing to stop after a non-injury crash, and failing to stop at a stop sign.
Judge Arthur Tompkins remanded Thrupp in custody until October 18 for sentencing.
-Daily Post
