Last month, 25-year-old Cootamundra woman Monica Jones was arrested after advertising the puppies online and collecting $4000 and $5500 from two prospective purchasers. 

When the buyers did not receive the puppies, which Miss Jones never had in the first place, police were contacted and Miss Jones arrested. 

The funds had been used to purchase a second-hand car.  

In Cootamundra Local Court on Monday, Miss Jones’ legal representative described her client’s actions as “a stupid crime”. 

“It was not well thought out and it was fairly certain she would be caught,” the representative said. 

She explained the single mother of two (a two-year-old and a four-year-old) had been experiencing financial difficulty and was easily led when friends suggested they had heard of people benefiting from similar scams. 

“She has certainly learned her lesson and is quite ashamed to be here before the court today,” the representative said. 

Knowing there was no way she was going to be able to produce the puppies, it was a scam she was doomed to be caught out in. 

Since being arrested for two counts of ‘dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception’ and one count of ‘deal with property suspected proceeds of crime’, Miss Jones has arranged for finance to repay the money deposited into her personal bank account by the victims. Both victims have now been fully compensated. 

The car she purchased has been seized by police as proceeds of crime.

Listening to her story, Magistrate Peter Dare expressed shock at the crime saying he had not seen Miss Jones before the court previously. 

Her squeaky clean criminal record, and the circumstances surrounding the fraud, were taken into consideration when Mr Dare handed down the 12 month Good Behaviour Bond.