Rohinel Prasad found his unsuspecting victims through Facebook Marketplace and used fake bank transfers to obtain the vehicles. Photo / Dean Purcell
Rohinel Prasad scammed unsuspecting people out of their vehicles, then used the ill-gotten gains to lead police on high-speed chases.
He used the same method several times to swindle the owners of the cars and fled police when they spotted him in the stolen vehicles.
Prasad contacted his victims via Facebook Marketplace, agreed on a sale price, then showed them fake bank transfers.
A chain of events culminated in Prasad fleeing police at speeds of more than 160km/h through Auckland’s suburbs.
As he drove, he switched the headlights of the stolen car on and off, before police spike strips finally brought him to a stop.
Now Prasad, 20, has been described by a District Court judge as “young and dumb”, and being out of control.
Judge Tom Gilbert wished Prasad “good luck” and told him, “Don’t come back”, as he sentenced him in the Christchurch District Court on charges of failing to stop, dangerous driving, exceeding the speed limit by more than 100 km/h, cannabis possession and obtaining by deception.
The summary of facts showed the trouble started in January 2025 when Prasad contacted a victim via Facebook Marketplace and offered to buy a car for $2200.
He arrived at an agreed spot in Stanmore Bay in a stolen car later that day and showed the victim a bank transfer, saying the money would land in their account within an hour.
The victim handed over the keys, saying they would change the vehicle ownership details when the money arrived in their account.
But it didn’t.
The driver’s licence Prasad showed them also turned out to be fake.
Later that evening, he was seen by police in central Auckland, travelling south on State Highway 1 in the stolen car he had earlier driven to Stanmore Bay.
Police conducted checks, which revealed it was stolen, then attempted to stop him, but he fled, weaving through traffic at speeds exceeding 100km/h in an 80km/h zone.
Prasad was tracked by Auckland Transport CCTV and police air support to Manukau Heights and arrested. Police then found cannabis and a bong in the car.
The following month, Prasad contacted another victim via Marketplace and repeated the act.
This time, he met the victim in Weymouth and showed them a fake bank transfer for $6500.
He was given the keys and left in the car.
A month later, on March 7, he was at it again when an unsuspecting victim drove to Papatoetoe to meet him.
Prasad agreed to buy their car for $3950, then showed the victim a bank transfer on his phone. He was given the car and then left.
Almost a fortnight later, he was spotted in the car by police on the Southern Motorway in Epsom at 2.45am, but took off at speeds over 160km/h.
A police helicopter observed him travelling at high speed, flicking his headlights on and off, before exiting the motorway at Ellerslie.
Prasad continued at high speed through Penrose, Onehunga and Māngere, often driving at more than 100km/h in 50km/h areas, with the headlights off.
In Māngere, he drove on the wrong side of the road and nearly collided with an oncoming truck, according to the summary of facts.
Police spiked the car in the Māngere area just after 3am.
Prasad and an associate fled on foot but were found nearby.
In June, he showed another unsuspecting victim a fake bank transfer at Clendon Park.
The victim believed the $8000 had been paid for the purchase of their Nissan Stagea.
Prasad was handed the key and left in the car.
Three days later, he was making offers again on Facebook Marketplace, using a fake $4200 bank transfer to buy a car in Manukau.
The court heard Prasad used the same method to buy a $650 PlayStation and a $650 cellphone from addresses in Flat Bush and Papatoetoe between March and May 2025.
All the cars were eventually recovered but the PlayStation and phone weren’t.
The court heard Prasad had spent seven weeks in custody and been given electronic bail with his father in Christchurch.
Judge Gilbert said Prasad had made progress and was a valued member of his family.
The judge found Prasad was remorseful.
“You say it was a result of getting in with the wrong crowd.
“Your shift here to Christchurch appears to be working well.”
With a starting point of two and a half years’ imprisonment, Judge Gilbert then applied discounts for guilt, remorse, youth and background.
Prasad was also given credit for time in custody and electronic bail.
Judge Gilbert sentenced him to six months’ home detention, disqualified him from driving for two years and ordered $1300 reparation for the PlayStation and cellphone.
“If you come again, you will go to jail,” the judge warned him.
Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.