Man Jailed For Concealing Over RM480,000 In Facebook Investment Scam Proceeds

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 (Bernama) -- A man was sentenced to one year imprisonment by the Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to transferring and concealing RM487,790 belonging to two women in connection with a fraudulent investment scheme advertised on Facebook last year.

Judge Azrul Darus sentenced Marchell Jeff Lee Sin Ket, 39, to one year in prison for assisting in concealing RM314,790 belonging to Ong Boon Ian, 59, an investment company owner, in his bank account at a condominium unit in Bandar Menjalara, Sentul, between Nov 18 and Dec 12 last year.

Separately, before Judge Hamidah Mohamed Deril, he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment for concealing RM173,000 belonging to Chin Lit Teng, 49, a health products company account executive, in his bank account at a condominium unit off Jalan Kuching, Taman Sri Kuching, Sentul, between Nov 7 and Dec 9 last year.

He was charged under Section 424 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction. Both sentences are to run concurrently from today.

According to the statement of facts, the victim had come across a stock investment advertisement while browsing Facebook and proceeded to register for the purported investment scheme.

Subsequently, the victim transferred funds in stages into a bank account under the name Marchell Jeff Interior Design Haus Sdn Bhd. The scheme was later discovered to be fraudulent when the promised returns failed to materialise.

Deputy public prosecutors M Saravanan and Raihanah Abd Razak appeared for the prosecution, while Lee was unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA