Jay Ozzy Gregg, 21, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week where he was imprisoned for 22 months.
In 2022, Gregg was sentenced to intensive supervision and community work for previous crimes - both of which he essentially ignored.
When he was hauled before the court in October that year, he admitted the breaches and a pre-sentence report was ordered to consider more punitive penalties (community or home detention).
Before an address is deemed suitable, a defendant must obtain signed consent from others who live there.
Rather than come clean with his Balclutha flatmates, though, Gregg forged their three signatures and returned the form to Probation, hoping for a non-custodial sentence.
But when the flatmates were called to confirm their consent, they were unaware of the situation and the defendant was rumbled.
Earlier, Gregg had agreed to buy an Audi vehicle for $2600 through social media.
The owner agreed he could pay it off in installments but the defendant took the car and never fronted up with the cash.
When Gregg was eventually arrested, the car was found to be extensively damaged, the court heard.
And his deception continued even while on bail.
On four occasions, Gregg used Facebook Marketplace to advertise electronics.
Once he was paid by his victims, he simply took their money and failed to deliver the goods.
"In all probability the items never existed," Judge Michael Turner said.
The defendant owed "thousands upon thousands" to other victims of his frauds and the judge said there was no chance of those recently affected being repaid.
The forgery, he said, which carried a maximum penalty of a decade behind bars, was clearly the most serious offence.
"This was, in my view, a serious attempt to pervert or subvert the course of justice.
"He tried to mislead Probation and ultimately the court, and failed," Judge Turner said.
"You show no remorse, no insight and you’ve not paid reparation."
Counsel Brendan Stephenson stressed his client’s offending was unsophisticated.
"It has the mark of something that wasn’t well thought through at all," he said.
He argued a sentence of home detention was fitting but the judge disagreed.
"You repeatedly, dishonestly offend in this way, creating more and more victims, even when you’re on bail," he said.
"Personal deterrence is at the fore of the sentencing process."
