Summary
- At a wedding reception in April, a man stole roughly $39,000.
- Having received the money, the man used it for gambling.
- The offender was arrested and later sentenced to one year in prison.
A 36-year-old man from Singapore, who was battling a gambling addiction, recently received a one-year prison sentence for stealing $50,000 (approximately S$39,000) from a wedding reception, which he primarily spent on gambling.
Stolen money was used for gambling activities
A report by the Straits Times reveals more details about a crime involving a part-time banquet server described as a habitual gambler. The 36-year-old man was working during a wedding reception on April 5 at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach's grand ballroom. As is customary, guests placed money gifts in red packets at a designated table near the ballroom entrance. On the day of the incident, the table was left unattended, and the banquet server seized the opportunity to steal two of the money boxes provided by the guests. These boxes contained a total of S$48,939 (approximately $38,300). After taking the money boxes around 12:50 PM, the man left the venue. Shortly after, the organizers realized the boxes were missing and reviewed security footage from the area. The video confirmed the theft, and the police were alerted around 1 PM. During the investigation, it was discovered that the man used S$400 of the stolen money to purchase clothes. Alarmingly, he deposited S$36,331 into his bank account via automated terminals and used the funds for online gambling. According to police, he placed 195 bets on an illegal gambling website and spent an additional S$12,200 on gambling at a Singapore Pools venue on Middle Road.
The man was arrested and sentenced to one year in jail
Several days after the crime, on April 7, the man who stole the money boxes from the wedding reception was apprehended. Upon his arrest, the authorities discovered S$3,000 in cash on him, likely part of the stolen amount. In court earlier this week, the 36-year-old man expressed remorse for his actions, admitting that he acted out of desperation. He explained that his gambling addiction clouded his judgment, preventing him from considering the consequences of his crime. Despite this, he pleaded guilty to charges of gambling with an unlicensed operator and theft. Consequently, District Judge Christopher Goh sentenced him to 12 months in prison. Additionally, the judge ordered the man to compensate the victims; failure to do so will result in an extra 100 days of imprisonment.
