SINGAPORE — In a span of 25 days, he cheated seven pawnshops across the island of nearly S$100,000 by bringing to them fake Audemars Piguet watches, which had bogus certificates of authenticity or even watch stands ostensibly from reputed local timepiece retailer The Hour Glass Limited.

For being a part of a ruse allegedly involving two other accomplices, Fong Kheng Yue, 44, was sentenced to 18 months’ jail yesterday on eight charges. Three counts were proceeded on, with the remaining taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing.

The cases against Fong’s purported partners in crime — Jimmy Lam Chan Pieu and Chen Zhiwei — are ongoing before the courts.

Fong became acquainted with Lam sometime late last year, the court heard yesterday. In January, Lam allegedly showed Fong the counterfeit watches bearing the Audemars Piguet trademark.

They came packed in boxes with fraudulent certificates of authenticity. Some of the timepieces were mounted on stands ostensibly from The Hour Glass Limited.

It was not mentioned in court where the counterfeit watches and bogus certificates came from. An outlet of The Hour Glass at Raffles Hotel said an authentic Audemars Piguet timepiece is priced at S$22,000 or more.

The court heard that Lam and Fong had hatched a plan whereby the former was said to have supplied the timepieces, and Fong would pawn them for 10 per cent of the proceeds.

The islandwide crime spree was carried out from Jan 11 to Feb 4, with Fong scamming seven pawnshops on eight occasions in Toa Payoh, Tampines, Bedok, Serangoon and Woodlands. Each time, he cheated the shops’ employees of cash ranging from S$10,000 to S$15,000.

Lam or Chen allegedly stood in as guarantors for the transactions. At times, Fong also used the identification cards of innocent individuals when he pledged the watches.

The police launched investigations on Feb 3 after an appraiser at a Valuemax pawnshop outlet in Serangoon lodged a report. The following day at about 9.30pm, Fong was arrested at Changi Airport before he could leave for Kuala Lumpur.

All in, Fong received about S$10,000 for his involvement in the conspiracy, which he used for gambling and on personal expenses.

Pressing for a jail term of nine to 12 months’ imprisonment per charge, deputy public prosecutor Victoria Ting said Fong’s offences had implicated a large number of victims.

Besides the pawnshops, unsuspecting individuals had their identification details made use of and luxury brand names had been adversely affected, she said.

She added that pawnshops are an integral part of the financial-services industry in Singapore and cater to those who require short-term financial relief. “(Fong’s) actions affected the integrity and delivery of such services,” she said.

In sentencing, District Judge Salina Ishak noted Fong’s “active and integral” role in the ruse and the loot he had pocketed — no restitution has been made.

However, she also said Fong was a first-time offender and had decided to plead guilty at an early stage.

For each charge of cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, Fong could have been jailed for 10 years and fined.