Two corrupt gold dealers jailed for letting Melbourne's crooks sell them stolen jewellery say they've been punished too harshly.
Alejandro Mendieta Blanco used his gold business to knowingly buy more than $200,000 in stolen watches, rings and other precious items, together with his brother and another employee, Chey Tenenboim.
Mendieta Blanco was handed four months' jail while Tenenboim received a year.
Both men want their sentences overturned by Victoria's Court of Appeal.
Acting for Mendieta Blanco, lawyer Ruth Shann on Wednesday said the man had been punished too harshly compared with his brother, Julio.
The sibling dealt in a larger amount of stolen goods, but was spared jail in the County Court in August. Instead he was ordered to complete a two-and-a-half-year community order.
The Mendieta Blanco brothers and Tenenboim originally faced more than 450 charges, but these were scrapped as part of a plea deal.
Each man ended up admitting a single combined charge of receiving stolen goods through Gold Buyers Melbourne over three months in 2017.
Alejandro Mendieta Blanco was responsible for the business as its managing director, but Ms Shann insisted he wasn't the ringleader when it came to the stolen gold.
She said the COVID-19 restrictions in prison made his time behind bars a much harsher experience.
He must also spent two years on a community order when he gets out.
Tenenboim's lawyer, David Grace QC, argued his client should have received a lesser sentence too.
The appeal court will hand down its decision at a later date.
Australian Associated Press
