Tenenboim, 39 – who has been in custody for more than 30 days after his bail was revoked in July – appeared via videolink at the County Court on 19 August to be sentenced by Judge Scott Johns.
Gold Buyers Melbourne, on Collins Street, was operated by Colombian-born brothers Alejandro and Julio Mendieta Blanco and was raided by Victoria Police in October 2017.
Surveillance and an undercover operation revealed the Mendieta Blanco brothers and Tenenboim – who had been employed at the business for six years – were purchasing jewellery and watches without asking for identification, as is legally required.
The three men were initially charged with more than 400 offences each; however, all pleaded guilty to a single charge earlier this year as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Tenenboim pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods valued at $144,638, while Alejandro Mendieta Blanco admitted to handling stolen goods valued at $29,000, and Julio Mendieta Blanco to handling stolen goods valued at $45,000.
At the sentencing hearing for Tenenboim, The Age quotes Judge Johns as saying, “You thought you could do it without getting caught, so you did. You were clearly aware [that] detection of your crime would be extremely difficult given the fact the stolen property was unable to be identified once it was melted down.”
According to The Age report, Judge Johns also noted that Tenenboim had worked at his father’s jewellery store as a teenager and that an armed robbery had devastated the business and family.
“That experience has left a marked impression on you. It is a shame that those experiences didn’t serve as a motivator for you to distance yourself from those that would seek to buy stolen goods,” Judge Johns is reported to have said.
In addition to the prison sentence, Tenenboim must also complete 200 hours of community service under a community corrections order.
Judge Johns previously indicated that the Mendieta Blanco brothers should also expect to receive custodial sentences; they will be sentenced at a later date.
More reading:
Jail likely for gold buyers linked to 2017 store robberies
Police drop more than 400 charges against gold dealer linked to jewellery store robberies
Gold dealer connected to jewellery robberies fronts court
Breakthrough in Melbourne jewellery robberies