”
13-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) Lynne Charlotte James, a 47-year-old Singaporean woman, has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for orchestrating a deceitful scheme that saw her cheat her boss at a real estate firm out of S$3.7 million over almost ten years. The sentencing was handed down on Wednesday (Mar 13) following her conviction on five counts of cheating.
James persistently deceived her 69-year-old employer by fabricating bankruptcy claims and posing as government officials in emails to substantiate her lies. Over time, she managed to swindle the victim, whose name was withheld from court documents, out of his life savings and pushed him into dire financial straits.
The victim, along with his wife, resorted to selling their assets, including two condominium units, to fund James’s purported financial needs. When their resources were exhausted, he even borrowed S$1.1 million from his niece, plunging himself further into debt.
The distressing impact of James’s actions on the victim’s life was profound. He suffered a stroke due to the stress of the situation, while his wife’s mental health deteriorated, necessitating psychiatric treatment that they could no longer afford. Their daughter also resorted to self-harm amid the turmoil caused by James’s deceit.
District Judge Shawn Ho, presiding over the case, described it as “heartrending.” He highlighted James’s manipulation, which spanned 2,253 transactions over almost a decade, perpetrating an elaborate fraud against the victim.
James’s sentencing came after she pleaded guilty to the charges, albeit midway through her trial. Despite expressing remorse for her actions through her lawyer, Mohamed Baiross from IRB Law, the prosecution argued for a 12-and-a-half-year jail term, citing the severity of the harm caused to the victim and his family.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Edwin Soh underscored the immense toll James’s crimes took on the victim and his loved ones, emphasising her lack of genuine remorse despite the devastation wrought by her actions.
While James’s legal team sought leniency, citing her regret for the harm caused, the judge noted her pattern of offences and the extensive duration of her deceitful conduct.
With each charge of cheating carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine, James now faces the consequences of her calculated deception, which left a lasting impact on her victim’s life.
