Man selling edible insects jailed for shoplifting scam

A businessman who sells edible insects has been jailed for a professional shoplifting scheme where he stole high-value household goods to order.

Anthonie van Wilderoden, aged 44, a Dutch national living in Wicklow, set up a business called Eddiebug with the help of a government loan. The firm sells insects as a speciality foodstuff. He is also the director of a chocolate-making company in Wicklow.

He said he began the shoplifting enterprise because he had built up heavy debt and his estranged wife had gone to America with his children leaving him with no way to support himself.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard he would put up adverts on the Donedeal website selling household products. He would then steal these products from shops depending on interest shown. The buyers were unaware the goods were stolen.

Van Wilderoden used a modified baby’s pram to steal items from Arnotts, Curries and Harvey Norman, including a Nespresso coffee machine, crockery sets, a vacuum cleaner and an electric blanket.

He was caught and charged in 2015 but was arrested again shortly after for stealing a €900 Jimmy Choo handbag from Brown Thomas. Van Wilderoden claimed this was to be a Mother’s Day present and that it wasn’t stolen to order.

Van Wilderoden was again released on bail and later entered an early guilty plea. However, he then fled to Belgium before his sentence date. He was arrested on a European arrest warrant and returned to Ireland in November 2016.

Van Wilderoden, of Ballyknockan, Valleymount, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to 10 sample counts of theft from the four stores between December 2014 and March 2015.

Judge Cormac Quinn imposed a sentence of two years. He said he was suspending the last six months because van Wileroden is a foreign national.

He has 19 previous convictions from Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium including fraud, forgery, theft and embezzlement.

Sean Rafter, defending, said van Wilderoden was sexually abused as a child and became a male prostitute as a teen. He said he saved to set up his first business but he was totally incapable of handling money.

Counsel said van Wilderoden bought a plane ticket to the Netherlands and if he was given a suspended sentence he was willing to promise not to return to Ireland.