Jail for youth who cheated Carousell buyers of S$37,000, skipped court hearing to celebrate birthday

SINGAPORE — After being charged with drug offences and cheating more than 100 people who wanted to buy Nintendo products, Sim Wei Quan decided to give his court hearing a miss so that he could celebrate his 21st birthday before being convicted.

He then cheated more buyers online after realising that he did not have enough money to fund his birthday hotel stay.

On Wednesday (Dec 15), the Singaporean youth was jailed for two-and-a-half years for his actions and an additional week for jumping bail. He has been remanded since late March.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of cheating, one of consuming methamphetamine and one of jumping bail, with four other similar charges taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that around March last year, Sim hatched a plan to cheat buyers on e-marketplace Carousell by listing Nintendo Switch and Nintendo games for sale there, even though he did not have them.

He chose these products because he knew that they were popular on the site. He also sought an accomplice — Neo Shi Xiang, 30 — to provide him with a bank account to receive money from the buyers.

Sim agreed to give Neo 20 per cent of his ill-gotten earnings as commission.

Between March and April last year, Sim cheated 129 victims of S$36,885. He spent all the money and has made no restitution.

He was nabbed after his victims made police reports. He was charged and released on court bail, but was re-arrested several months later after Central Narcotics Bureau officers received information that he was involved in drug activity.

On Jan 20 this year, he was arrested at his home along Bukit Panjang Ring Road. He admitted to buying meth and drug utensils from a man named Alson Tan in November last year.

He was again charged with these offences and he indicated that he wished to plead guilty.

On Feb 8, when he was set to do so, he failed to turn up and decided to stay in a hotel to celebrate his birthday instead.

In order to obtain money to pay for this, he put up listings on his Carousell and Facebook accounts for an iPhone 12 Pro Max. One buyer transferred S$1,000 to him, but Sim never followed through with the deal.

Those convicted of cheating can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. Those who abscond or break the conditions of their bail can be fined or jailed for up to three years, or both.