THREE of four men extradited from the Northern Territory following investigations into a series of aggravated break and enters targeting automatic teller machines (ATMs), including one at Berry, have been jailed for combined 37 years.
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Simon Sheu, Marsel Boka and George Nika were sentenced to 12, 11 and 14 years respectively in Sydney Downing Centre District Court before Judge Mark Williams.
They were arrested with co-accused Aniello Vinciguerra, whose trial was to begin in Sydney on Tuesday.
It is understood three of the men are Albanian nationals and other is an Italian national.
They were charged with a combined total of 50 offences.
The quartet were arrested by Strike Force Chiver, formed by the Property Crime Squad in August 2014 to investigate a number of break and enters where tools were used in an attempt to access ATMs.
Police allege between July 7 and October 28, 10 properties were targeted across the east coast of NSW at Berry, Warrawong, Shellharbour, Jamisontown, Parklea, Oak Flats, St Andrews, Kotara, Bateau Bay and Thornton.
In Berry, police said the business was located on the Princes Highway. The Register understands it was the Berry Bowling Club.
Strike Force Chiver detectives conducted extensive inquiries both in NSW and with their counterparts in a number of other states and territories.
In the early hours of December 8, 2014 the four men were arrested by Northern Territory police near a shopping centre at Coolalinga, in Darwin.
Property Crime Squad detectives travelled to the Northern Territory where they applied for and were granted the men’s extraditions back to NSW.
Sheu was sentenced to 12 years’ jail with a non-parole period of eight years on two charges of break and enter, two counts of aggravated break and enter in company and participating in a criminal group.
He will be eligible for parole on December 7, 2022.
Boka was sentenced to 11 years’ jail, with a non-parole period of seven years for attempted aggravated break and enter, two counts aggravated break and enter in company, break and enter and participating in a criminal group.
He will be eligible for parole on December 7, 2021.
Nika was sentenced to 14 years’ jail, with a non-parole of nine years, for three counts of aggravated break and enter in company, two counts of break and enter, make a false statement to officer for purpose of the migration act and participating in a criminal group.
He will be eligible for parole on December 7, 2023.
A number of other charges were also taken into account in their sentencing.
Vinciguerra is charged with nine counts of aggravated break and enter in company, four counts of break and enter, five counts of impairing electronic connection to/from computer, participating in a criminal group contribute to criminal act, deliver document containing false statement under the migration act and make a false statement to officer for purpose of the migration act.