Jail for unlicensed money changer who pinned down client at Jurong Point mall to help steal S$30,000
SINGAPORE — After a man helped his friend steal S$30,000 in cash by physically restraining the victim, the duo treated themselves to a meal and a massage using the stolen money.
Chen Shuo, 23, was sentenced to three months' jail on Wednesday (April 12) after pleading guilty to one charge of intentionally abetting a theft, with another similar charge taken into consideration.
Chen had pinned the victim, Zhang Renfei, 39, to the floor at Jurong Point shopping centre so that his friend, Zhang Kexi, could allegedly take S$30,000 of cash from the man.
The victim had initially sought to use the unlicensed money-changing service run by the men. He wanted to convert S$100,000 to Chinese yuan to be sent to his bank account in China.
Chen was part of the illegal money-changing operation, aided by Zhang Kexi and three other individuals: Tan Zhixian, Zhang Xichao and Wang Anquan.
WHAT HAPPENED
On Jan 17, 2022, the victim contacted Zhang Kexi via WeChat as he wished to use the money-changing service.
They agreed that the victim would provide S$100,000 to Zhang Kexi in exchange for receiving 480,000 yuan into the victim’s designated accounts in China.
Zhang Kexi called Chen at about 3pm that day asking him to accompany him to collect the money, which was too large a sum to transfer in one go.
Chen agreed to help him as he had done before and arranged to meet the victim and Wang at a block in Jurong West.
However, the victim was hesitant to meet them there as he was alone with a large sum of money with few people around. He then went inside Jurong Point shopping centre.
Zhang Kexi told Chen and Wang to meet the victim inside the shopping centre and then bring him out to the block, but the victim refused to leave out of fear for his safety so they waited with him in the mall.
Zhang Xichao came to replace Wang during the wait, as Wang had another appointment.
Then Zhang Xichao and Chen received information from Zhang Kexi that a partial transfer had successfully been made to the victim's account, and asked the victim to pass them the equivalent cash in Singapore dollars.
However, the victim denied receiving the transfer and refused to hand over any of the cash.
The victim then entered a Subway fast food outlet on the first floor of the mall and called for police assistance.
Zhang Kexi and Chen followed him to the outlet to confront him and take the cash from him.
A struggle ensued and Chen held the victim down while Zhang Kexi allegedly grabbed some S$30,000 in cash from a paper bag the victim was holding, before both men ran out of the mall with the money.
Chen was arrested two days later on Jan 19, 2022. He was remanded from the same day till March 18, 2022, a total of 59 days.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Tan sought three months’ jail given the large sum stolen and the fact that Chen used criminal force to physically restrain the victim.
He added that the offence was carried out in broad daylight and in public, and that Chen had personally benefitted from the offence by having a meal and massage paid for with the stolen money.
Defence lawyer Josephine Costan told the court that her client is “extremely remorseful” for committing the offence.
District Judge Shawn Ho sentenced Chen to three months’ jail.
Two of the co-accused, Wang and Zhang Xichao, were previously sentenced to three weeks' jail each after being convicted of one charge of abetting an unlicensed payment service.
Zhang Kexi and Tan are yet to face court.
Anyone convicted of theft can be jailed for up to three years, fined or both, while those found guilty of abetting the commission of a particular offence can be given the punishment provided for that offence.
