Man goes to prison after stealing watches to cover gambling debt

• Part-time repairman at a luxury watch shop was accused of stealing three Rolex watches
• The man attempted to pawn the stolen items in exchange for cash, which he claimed would be used to cover a gambling debt
• The 36-year-old man received a sentence of four months in prison for his actions

A man who worked as a self-employed repairman at a shop for luxury goods stole several expensive watches in order to cover a gambling debt.

The man admitted to his actions and was recently sentenced to prison.

Three watches worth $5,000+ go missing

The theft case is from Singapore, where a freelance repairman from Malaysia worked for a luxury watch shop, the local media outlet, Shin Min Daily News, reports.

Accusations against the 36-year-old man claim he stole a total of three Rolex watches from the owner of the business he worked at.

One of the thefts occurred on February 14, 2023, while the other two watches were taken on November 9, 2023, and November 11, 2023.

The cost of the first watch was HK4,000, while the other two cost HK18,000 and HK20,000, for a total cost of HK42,000 or approximately $5,400.

Investigative actions led police to a pawn shop in Toa Payoh where the suspect allegedly attempted to pawn them and collect cash.

However, the owner of the pawn shop reached out to the luxury watch outlet and discovered that the watches were in fact, stolen.

Consequently, the 36-year-old repairman admitted to his actions. The man explained he stole the Rolex watches due to a gambling-related debt.

It is unclear whether the suspect gambled via online casinos and what the size of his gambling debt was.

The suspect was recently sentenced for his crimes, receiving a total of four months in prison.

The 36-year-old is set to start serving his prison sentence on October 22, 2026.

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