A man has been sentenced to 12 months’ of supervised probation after stealing more than S$480 worth of Pokemon cards.
Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook
23-year-old Fong Jia Wei pleaded guilty to two charges of theft on Tuesday (14 May) after stealing the cards to pay off personal debts.
Another two charges, including a theft of Pokemon cards worth S$110.60, were taken into consideration during Fong’s sentencing.
The Singapore permanent resident was arrested in May last year.
According to the Straits Times (ST), Fong’s lawyers stated in court documents that the Malaysian had his polytechnic diploma withheld after graduating in April 2021.
This was because Fong allegedly owed his school around S$7,000 in fees.
A year later, Fong used his savings and loans from friends to pay off his owed fees and received his diploma.
In an attempt to repay his friends quickly, Fong resulted to theft.
In January 2023, he watched several TikTok videos that showed people profiting off selling Pokemon cards.
His lawyers stated that specific cards could be sold for up to S$50 each, depending on their rarity.
According to TODAY, Fong first stole a box of Pokemon cards worth S$212.40 from a store at Paya Lebar Square on 2 May 2023.
Source: Paya Lebar Square
Two days later, he stole more cards from a convenience store at Paya Lebar MRT station.
Not giving up, Fong struck another convenience store at Commonwealth MRT station on 8 May, stealing a box of cards worth S$270.
On 9 May, the Singapore Police Force arrested Fong after several reports were made regarding the Pokemon card thefts.
In August, the police revealed that around 500 Pokemon cards were seized as case exhibits.
ST also reported that prior to his arrest, Fong had sold several stolen Pokemon cards online, earning around S$1,000.
Court documents revealed that authorities were unable to recover the stolen cards sold online, but Fong had repaid the value of the items on 3 Oct last year.
According to TODAY, in an attempt to seek leniency, Fong’s lawyers highlighted his “genuine remorse” in court on Tuesday as Fong had paid back the value of the stolen cards.
Fong was deemed suitable for probation due to his cooperation with authorities and low risk of reoffending.
Fong will now be required to remain indoors from 11pm to 6am every day as part of his supervised probation.
In addition, he must perform 40 hours of community service, and his parents were also bonded for S$5,000 to ensure Fong’s good behaviour.
Also read: 22-Year-Old Man Steals Pokémon Cards From S’pore Shops, Arrested Before He Could Catch ‘Em All
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Featured image adapted from Thimo Pedersen on Unsplash.
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