Maid moonlighted by doing part-time cleaning on days off and stole S$23,650, gets jail

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper who had been working in Singapore since 2003 moonlighted illegally by doing part-time work on her days off and stole more than S$23,000 (US$17,000) from one of her customers.

Elvira Cadila Orlanes Ordonez, a 46-year-old Filipina, was sentenced to jail for seven months and one week on Tuesday (Jun 18) for one count of theft and two counts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Another two charges were taken into consideration.

The court heard that Elvira worked as a domestic helper in Singapore since 2003. According to her work permit, she was allowed to be employed as a maid for her main employer.

However, after working for this employer for about two decades, she began moonlighting by looking for additional part-time cleaning work, which she would take on during her days off.

She charged S$20 an hour, working for an average of three to four hours per customer, performing chores like vacuuming, mopping the floor and washing toilets.

One of her four customers, who was a tenant in Cathay Residences in Mount Sophia, hired Elvira after hearing about her services from the previous tenant.

Elvira performed cleaning services for this customer on at least 26 occasions between April 2023 and April 2024, earning about S$2,700 in total.

She did this despite knowing that her work pass was valid only for her main job as a domestic helper and not for any part-time work.

The court heard that Elvira was facing financial issues at the time and needed an additional source of income.

She also owed debts to loan sharks.

THE S$23,650 THEFT

Elvira also worked illegally as a part-time cleaner for a Singaporean man who lived in the Nomu condominium in Dhoby Ghaut from May 2023.

She had been introduced to him by his girlfriend, a Chinese national who heard about her services from a friend.

They hired Elvira to do the laundry, sweep and mop the floors and take care of a pet dog.

However, when Elvira entered her customer's room to clean it, she saw stacks of cash in various denominations in a drawer and wanted to steal them.

Over 18 occasions between May 2023 and April 2024, Elvira stole a total of S$23,650 while cleaning the apartment.

The couple discovered the theft when they were preparing to go for a wedding on Apr 7 this year and looked for new notes to prepare a wedding gift.

They discovered that the new notes were missing, and realised that more money that had been kept elsewhere had also disappeared.

The man then lodged an online police report.

Elvira had deposited the cash into her bank accounts and transferred part of it to settle her loan shark debts.

She also transferred the money to her family back in the Philippines.

She was arrested at Plaza Singapura in April 2024 while meeting the victim's girlfriend to return a sum of S$800.

Investigations into Elvira's work permit violations began after she was arrested.

Prosecutors on the case cited how Elvira abused the trust placed in her by the victim of theft, as well as how she circumvented the work pass framework.

In total, she earned at least about S$3,900 from her moonlighting.

"MY FAMILY NEEDS ME"

Elvira, who was remanded, asked for leniency via an interpreter. She said she had worked half her life for one employer for almost 22 years.

She begged the judge for a lighter sentence, saying she was very remorseful and that her family needs her. 

"My mother is sick. She needs me. I've been here for several years working in Singapore, I've been away from my family."

She asked to be sent home to be with her family.

For theft in dwelling, she could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.

For working part-time without a valid work pass, she could have been jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$20,000, or both.