By Cameron Houston & Chris Vedelago, The Age
A senior Victorian police officer has been charged over an alleged 18-month crime spree that included claims of fraudulently obtaining six properties, rorting Centrelink, postal theft, making false claims to bank staff and claiming she was someone else.
Sergeant Rosa Catherine Rossi, 56, has been charged by Victoria’s corruption watchdog.
The sergeant from Corio, who worked as the Community Engagement Manager for the Westgate Proactive Policing Unit, did not face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday when the extent of her alleged offending investigated by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission was revealed.
Sergeant Rossi is accused of deceiving locksmiths to fraudulently take possession of houses in Malvern East, Chadstone, Brooklyn and three rural properties in Willaura, about 230 kilometres west of Melbourne.
On January 4, 2017, Sergeant Rossi allegedly wore her police uniform to the offices of Hobsons Bay Council, where she allegedly induced a council employee to provide personal details of an alleged victim.
She also allegedly accessed the police database LEAP, without authorisation, to acquire information about the owner of a Malvern East home in October 2016.
A month later, she allegedly obtained the property by deception after telling a locksmith it was a deceased estate and she was the owner, according to charge sheets obtained by The Age.
An IBAC investigation dubbed Operation Salina also charged Sergeant Rossi with stealing items posted to three of the properties, while also fraudulently claiming rent assistance from Centrelink on behalf of another woman.
Sergeant Rossi, will face other charges of fraudulently claiming her private company Sweet Georgia Pty Ltd was a not-for-profit organisation, while also falsely declaring in a statutory declaration that she lived in Endeavour Hills.
She also allegedly provided false information to staff at the Commonwealth Bank on January 19 2017, when she applied for a loan on a property in Willaura.
And on June 15 2017, Sergeant Rossi allegedly signed a statutory declaration in Werribee that stated her name was Dianne Marshall.
Sergeant Rossi will face a committal mention hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on January 14 next year.
Her co-accused, an inspector who lives in Lara, was charged by IBAC with three offences, including perjury, making a false statement and failing to produce a document.
The 73-year-old is due to appear before the Geelong Magistrates Court in February 2019.
