Student who swopped $30k Rolex watch with fake $500 replica sentenced to jail

A 21-year-old student who swopped a $30,000 Rolex watch with a $500 fake has been sentenced to jail.

On Aug 8, Jim Bradley Misso Wen Ping was sentenced to 14 weeks' jail after pleading guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust and one count of voluntarily causing hurt.

The court heard how Misso, who is currently pursuing a degree at Kaplan, and his friend tried to trick property agent Thomas Tong Guo Xian, reports The Straits Times.

In a previous report, Mr Tong had planned to use the money from the sale of the watch to buy a house with his fiancee.

He had listed his watch on online marketplace Carousell which was spotted by Misso's friend Joshua Chua Yong Cheng on Nov 30 last year.

Chua, 24, had arranged to view the watch at Mr Tong's home on Jan 13 but could not afford it.

That was when he and Misso came up with an elaborate plan to steal it.

Chua purchased a fake replica of Mr Tong's watch on Carousell for about $500 and gave it to Misso who arranged to view Mr Tong's Rolex on Jan 22, at the void deck of Block 3D Upper Boon Keng Road.

On the same day, Chua also contacted Mr Tong and said he wanted to discuss buying the Rolex over dinner.

Mr Tong agreed, and arranged for his fiancee Nicole Chan Hui Shan, 30, to meet Misso instead.

The court heard the couple were unaware that Chua and Misso were acquainted.

Ms Chan met Misso at the void deck at about 5.30pm and handed him the watch so he could inspect it.

Pretending to check the illumination of the genuine Rolex under the table, Misso hid the watch from Ms Chan's view and swopped it with the fake which he gave to Ms Chan before leaving with the real one.

Misso later handed the Rolex to Chua who placed it in a paper bag and handed it to his friend Alissa Tay Su Ying, 24, for safekeeping.

After returning home from dinner with Chua, Mr Tong checked his watch and noticed a discrepancy in the colour and serial number.

Realising it had been swopped with a fake replica, he lodged a police report.

Misso and Chua were arrested at Tuas Checkpoint on Jan 30 and the genuine Rolex watch was recovered.

Chua has yet to be dealt with by the court.

Misso was also found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt in a separate incident on Aug 19.

Misso had punched 19-year-old Kingston Tan Jing Rong outside Zouk at Clarke Quay after an argument, causing injuries including permanent facial scarring.

In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham said that while Misso was "not the mastermind" of the watch scam, he "played a critical role".

He also noted that Misso "had no qualms" about helping his friend commit the offence.

For criminal breach of trust, Misso could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined. For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed up to two years and fined $5,000.