by Luke Voogt
A Lara policewoman has pleaded guilty following a crime spree in which she illegally obtained five vacant houses by changing their locks.
Sergeant Rosa Catherine Rossi, 57, pleaded guilty to ten charges including obtaining property by deception and defrauding the Commonwealth by receiving rent assistance she was not entitled to.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) charged Sgt Rossi after discovering she had used her position to order locksmiths to change the locks on houses in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Rossi admitted to attempting to lease a stolen home in Brooklyn to an unsuspecting tenant, Melbourne Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.
She also admitted to using Victoria Police’s database to access restricted information and making false statements about her identity and address.
Prosecutors on Monday withdrew another ten charges against Rossi including theft and lying to council workers.
Rossi remains on bail and will appear at Melbourne County Court on 29 April 2020 for a plea hearing.
Rossi’s guilty plea comes after Lara Inspector David Manly admitted to lying under oath after IBAC investigators caught him with a mobile phone he claimed to have destroyed.
The 74-year-old’s admission in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last month related to his contact with Rossi.
He will return to court for a plea hearing in December.
