33-year-old engineer repeatedly stole from his in-laws and covered up his crime, sentenced to 34 weeks in jail

SINGAPORE: A 33-year-old man repeatedly stole jewellery from his wife’s family and pawned it to earn money amounting to more than $5,000. Moreover, he then framed a former colleague about his crime and lied to the police, which prompted the authorities to sentence him to 34 weeks’ imprisonment. 

The man, who works as a senior engineer, is reportedly from Malaysia but is permanently residing in the country. Due to his crime, he faces three charges, which include cheating and theft. He pleaded guilty to both crimes, while the judge will take the third charge into consideration. 

According to investigations, the man lived with his wife during that time, and his wife’s family later moved in, but they stayed in different rooms. In 2024, the suspect repeatedly broke into his wife’s family’s rooms and stole pieces of jewellery, including gold bracelets and necklaces. After obtaining them, he pawned them at several pawnshops. 

Eventually, the wife’s family noticed the missing items and suspected that the man was responsible. They initially hesitated to report him due to familial ties. However, the family finally filed a police report last November. 

In December, the man was questioned by the police, but he decided to lie even though there was evidence of the pawning. He then created a story that his former colleague asked him to pawn the items on his behalf. When the authorities contacted the former colleague, he admitted that the suspect tried to sell him stolen jewellery, but he refused. 

With this, the prosecution argued that the suspect deceived the police and framed another person to cover up his crime. This constitutes a serious penalty. 

The suspect pleaded for leniency, and his lawyer argued that the man had already acknowledged his mistakes and made full compensation. The judge then considered the suspect’s compensation and decided to sentence him to 34 weeks in prison. 

In similar theft cases, there was also a report where three strangers stole a delivery that was left outside a HDB unit. Upon checking the CCTV, it shows that two men and a woman came in front of the man’s house and acted suspiciously. When they confirmed that there was no one around, one of them quickly stole the package. 

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