A clerical worker at a temple in Singapore was secretly carrying out a plan to steal funds in order to become addicted to gambling. She stole more than S$1 (US$207,000) in one year, leading to her going to jail.
On Thursday, February 2, a judge sentenced Chinese national Li Fanfang, 16.As a clerk and accountant of the Hong San Temple Association, she used her position and her erasable pen to defraud the temple for her gambling habits.
Li, who is married to a Singaporean man, initially fled to Hong Kong to escape problems.She then returned to Hong Kong and confessed everything about her.
a forged future
Lee earned a monthly salary of S$2,000 ($1,500) as a temple secretary and treasurer.She was responsible for receiving donations from the public, keeping records, and paying for the temple.
The temple required multiple signatures on the check to protect the funds, but did not consider all contingencies.To get his signature on the check to be issued to the merchant, Li presented the check normally, crossed out the merchant's name, and added his own name.At first, he only wrote small checks himself, fearing that he might suspect that they were large checks.
But from April 2019, 4 to March 27, 2020, as she got bolder, she started writing herself checks more often.
In some instances, Li included family members.She persuaded her to use her own name to avoid suspicion.
Lee is said to have gambled with the money.He cashed checks and went to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino almost every day to play baccarat.
Because of Li's reputation, none of the temple officials suspected her of dishonesty.
robbery remorse
Over time, Lee began to feel guilty.She wrote a letter explaining what she had done, offered her reparations, and left Singapore for Hong Kong.
According to court documents, Lee lived in Singapore for more than 10 years and had a son with a local man she was married to.A week after leaving her family, Ms. Lee returned to Singapore and was persuaded by her husband to turn herself in.
Lee, who persuaded her husband to turn herself in, was confirmed by the authorities and sentenced to prison for up to 44 months.About three years later, she finally learned her destiny.
Li pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud involving falsification of payees on 16 checks.The judge acknowledged that she was her first offender, that she had turned herself in, and gave a strong consideration to how much money she had stolen.
Li was sentenced to three years in prison for the amount of money he stole and the audacity of his repeated crimes.
It's not clear from the press if MBS has to explain that someone with a monthly income of US$1,500 spent US$1 on gambling in about a year.
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