Wedding Reception Theft: Former Banquet Server Jailed for Stealing $50K in Red Packets, Gambling Away Winnings
Singapore – A 36-year-old man, Lee Yi wei, has been sentenced to 12 months in jail after stealing nearly $50,000 in red packets from a wedding reception at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach on April 5th [[2]]. Lee, a former part-time banquet server, exploited his familiarity with the hotel layout to steal two money boxes containing the cash while the registration table was briefly unattended [[2]].
The brazen theft was captured on CCTV, leading to Lee’s identification and subsequent arrest. Police discovered he stashed the stolen funds in a locker at the National Library in Bugis, using a portion of the money to purchase new clothes [[2]].
However, the ill-gotten gains were short-lived.Lee, a habitual gambler, quickly gambled away the vast majority of the stolen money, depositing $36,331 with an unlicensed gambling service provider [[2]].
District Judge Christopher Goh ordered Lee to compensate the victims for the stolen amount, with an additional 100 days in jail if compensation is not paid [[2]].He pleaded guilty to one count of theft and one count of gambling with an unlicensed provider.
Keywords: Singapore, Theft, Gambling, Wedding, Crime, Jail Sentence, JW Marriott, red Packets, Illegal Gambling.
