A 22-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to 20 months and four weeks in jail on 9 Apr 2024 after stealing $280,000 from his grandmother’s bank accounts over the course of a year.
Adam Ilhan Mohamad Idhamsahbani pled guilty to one charge of criminal breach of trust and one count of providing false information to a public servant.
Grandmother with Parkinson’s Disease Relied On Him
The 77-year-old victim, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, relied on her grandson to access her five bank accounts due to memory issues and limited English proficiency.
Advertisements
She needed his assistance for online purchases, bill payments, and making donations.
Between January and December 2023, Adam systematically emptied all five of his grandmother’s accounts, using the funds for personal expenses including a laptop, desktop, printer, and in-game purchases for online games he was addicted to.
The elderly woman first noticed missing funds in August 2023. By December, her accounts were completely empty.
Elaborate Deception to Hide Theft from Grandmother
When confronted by his grandmother about the missing money, Adam created an elaborate lie, claiming she had fallen victim to scammers.
To support his deception, he forged two letters supposedly from the police. He maintained this fabrication even after his grandmother filed a police report.
On 17 Jan 2024, Adam provided a false statement at Ang Mo Kio Police Division.
He claimed he had contacted banks after his grandmother noticed the missing funds in August 2023 and had received a call from a police officer from the Anti-Scam Command in October 2023 informing him that the money had been lost to scammers.
Adam further stated he met with an officer from the Anti-Scam Command who gave him two letters, which he had actually forged himself.
Advertisements
The following day, when police visited him for further questioning, Adam confessed to his lies. He admitted he was tempted to commit the crime after seeing the money in his grandmother’s accounts.
Court Rejects Probation Request Despite Partial Restitution
During court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Li Ting noted that Adam showed no remorse for his actions even after being caught.
“In the defence’s mitigation, he was blaming her for entrusting him with the bank accounts that enabled him to drain her funds. That is a clear sign of a lack of remorse,” DPP Lim said.
District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan rejected the defence lawyer’s request for a probation suitability report, emphasizing that deterrence and retribution outweighed rehabilitation needs in this case.
“In my mind, this is a very serious offence. It does not show you have committed this in a moment of folly. It does not show it was committed because of the immaturity of your mind. It was planned, deliberate,” said Judge Shaiffudin.
Advertisements
Adam has so far made restitution of $100,000 to his grandmother.
For criminal breach of trust, offenders can face up to 20 years in jail and a fine.
Providing false information to a public servant can result in imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both.
These five GRCs could see the tightest battle in GE2025; here’s why:
Read Also:
- Trump Exempts Electronics from 125% China Tariffs, Sparing Smartphones and Computers
- Elderly Charity Shop Owner Baffled by Over 50 Boxes of Mystery Donation Blocking Store Entrance
- DNA from Two Men Discovered on Murdered Singaporean Woman’s Clothing as Court Orders Comparison with Main Suspect
- Former Police Officer Convicted in Fatal Maid Abuse Case That Left Victim Weighing Just 24kg
- Teen Arrested in Johor for Selling AI-Generated Fake Nudes of School Peers for RM2 Each
