SINGAPORE — A 55-year-old man was jailed for six months on Friday (Feb 4) after he conspired to cheat a pawnshop of S$18,000 with a fake Rolex watch.

Tan Kok Eng, a Singaporean, pleaded guilty to the charge.

Court documents stated that Tan was approached by his friend, 33-year-old Singaporean Aw Poh Heng, to pledge a counterfeit Rolex watch at Marsiling Pawnshop in exchange for some money. It was not stated when exactly he approached Tan.

Aw, the co-accused in this case, allegedly told Tan that he had some outstanding debt to be settled and had already cheated the pawnshop twice on July 15 last year, by pledging two fake Rolex watches in exchange for S$34,500.

He did not want to arouse the employee’s suspicions by pledging a third luxury watch over two days, so he allegedly asked Tan for help to do so on his behalf.

After Tan agreed, Aw allegedly gave him a counterfeit watch that cost about S$800.

Tan then went to the pawnshop at about 10am on July 16 last year and presented the watch to a staff member of the shop, claiming that it was a genuine watch.

He told the employee that he had left the watch box and authenticity certificate at home.

The staff member then accepted the fake watch as a pledge and handed Tan S$18,000 in cash.

Shortly after, Tan met Aw to give him the money acquired and both men then went to a jewellery shop to buy gold. Tan bought a gold amulet hook worth about S$430. 

In seeking a jail term of seven month, the prosecution submitted that full restitution had not been made to the shop for its losses.

The shop had indicated its willingness to accept the gold amulet hook recovered from Tan’s home after his arrest, as well as some cash and jewellery seized from Aw’s home, after the conclusion of both court cases.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Dhiraj Chainani highlighted that although Tan’s culpability is lower compared to his co-accused who had bought and supplied the fake watches, the amount that Tan had fleeced from the pawnshop was relatively high.

Tan, who spoke in Hokkien through an interpreter, pleaded for a lighter sentence, saying that he is the sole breadwinner for his family.

He added that he has two children who are in school and receiving financial assistance from the Chinese Development Assistance Council.

Tan also sought to defer the start of his sentence until after the Chinese New Year period ends on Feb 15.

In delivering her sentence, District Judge Jasvender Kaur said that she took into account Tan’s lower culpability in this case and the small benefit he had received in the form of the gold hook.

She ordered a six-month jail sentence to begin on Feb 16.

For one count of aggravated cheating, Tan could be fined or sentenced up to 10 years in jail.

Aw’s case is still pending before the courts.