African casino cheat jailed

[lauhumku]

Aug 16, 2010
African casino cheat jailed

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
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<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> A TANZANIAN who cheated Marina Bay Sands casino of about $126,000 - the highest amount to date - by past-posting was jailed a total of 24 months on Monday. This is the longest jail term handed to a casino cheat since the opening of the two integrated resorts in Singapore earlier this year.

Kipuyo Lemburis Israel, 35, pleaded guilty last week to three charges of cheating and one of attempted cheating at the casino's roulette tables on May 20. He had deceived the casino into paying him chips worth a total of $105,175 between 1.43 and 4.02am by placing bets after the winning number had been declared.

His luck ran out when he was caught using the same ruse that afternoon. Seven other charges, including two cheating, were taken into consideration. The court heard that Kipuyo first entered Singapore on May 16 and left for Genting Highlands, Malaysia. Two days later, he re-entered Singapore and gambled at MBS casino.

After having sold his electronic business in Tanzania because he had been involved in heavy gambling, he had spent his leisure time gambling in the casino there. He could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined on each charge of cheating. For attempted cheating, the penalty is five years' jail and a fine.

 

[Taishi Ci]

Casino cheat jailed 2 years


Aug 17, 2010

Casino cheat jailed 2 years
Sentence for Tanzanian man is stiffest since IRs opened earlier this year

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent
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Kipuyo gained over $100,000 at roulette by posting bets after the ball had landed.

<!-- story content : start --> OVER two hours one night in May, a Tan-zanian tourist amassed more than $100,000 at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) roulette tables. But Kipuyo Lemburis Israel was cheating, posting his bets only after the roulette ball had landed. Emboldened as he was not caught the first three times, the 35-year-old gambler tried once more.

But his luck had run out and he was caught red-handed with $126,209 in ill-gotten gains. Yesterday, Kipuyo was jailed for two years by Senior District Judge See Kee Oon - the stiffest sentence handed to a casino cheat since Singapore's two integrated resorts opened earlier this year.

The judge agreed with the prosecution that deterrent sentences were called for, as the offences were numerous, premeditated and involved big sums. 'I was of the view that substantial imprisonment terms were warranted in view of the gravity and scale of the cheating involved,' said the judge. All the money except for $4 has been recovered.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
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[Taishi Ci]

Appeal by cheat dismissed


Aug 26, 2010
Appeal by cheat dismissed

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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A VISITOR, who was jailed four months for trying to cheat a roulette dealer in the Marina Bay Sands casino and for lying to the police, failed to get his sentence reduced. But Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong said on Thursday that Ashraf Zohaib, a Pakistani, should count himself lucky that the prosecution had not appealed.

Hearing the first appeal by a casino cheat, CJ Chan observed that courts consider casino offences to be very serious. The top judge also noted that Kipuyo Lemburis Israel, 35, a Tanzanian, was sentenced to nine months in jail by a district court for a similar offence on Aug 16. Ashraf, 25, who works in the agricultural industry back home, had bet $25 on the winning number on June 14.

Not content with his winnings of $850, he slipped an additional $1,000 cash chip under the $25 chip so as to receive $35,000 more. Suspecting something amiss, casino staff checked the closed-circuit television footage and Ashraf was handed over to the police. Instead of owning up, he lied that his friend, also from Pakistan, had instigated him to cheat. The friend, who was also arrested for abetting in the attempted cheating, was let go after Ashraf came clean later.
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[chowka]

Casino cheat loses appeal

double post deleted.