News / National
Zimbabwe man jailed for counterfeit US$ notes scam
2 hrs ago |
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A 21-year-old man from Gweru linked to a syndicate manufacturing counterfeit United States dollar notes has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after attempting to use fake currency at a local nightclub.
Deon Zhou was convicted on his own plea of guilty to fraud and possession of articles for criminal use by Gweru provincial magistrate Arnold Maburo.
The court heard that Zhou was part of a scheme in which suspects posed as genuine customers, created confusion during payment transactions and then tendered counterfeit notes as payment.
For the fraud charge, Zhou was sentenced to two years in prison, with four months suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period.
He received an additional four-month sentence for possession of counterfeit currency, bringing the effective sentence to 20 months.
In his ruling, Maburo said the crime was deliberate and well organised.
"Fraud offences undermine economic confidence and require deterrent sentences. The accused is found guilty as charged," he said.
According to court papers, on February 8 Zhou went to a nightclub in Gweru where he attempted to buy beer using a counterfeit US$100 note. The note was handed to bar attendant Tinotenda Kadungwe, who became suspicious and examined it closely before realising it was fake.
Kadungwe alerted the nightclub's security personnel, who apprehended Zhou and handed him over to police at Zimbabwe Republic Police's Gweru Central Police Station.
Investigations later revealed that Zhou had arrived at the nightclub with another suspect who is still at large.
Police recovered 93 additional counterfeit US$100 notes from Zhou, all bearing identical serial numbers. The total potential prejudice amounted to US$9,300.
The notes were sent to Zimpost in Gweru for verification, where they were confirmed to be counterfeit. A certificate confirming the notes were fake was produced in court as evidence.
Deon Zhou was convicted on his own plea of guilty to fraud and possession of articles for criminal use by Gweru provincial magistrate Arnold Maburo.
The court heard that Zhou was part of a scheme in which suspects posed as genuine customers, created confusion during payment transactions and then tendered counterfeit notes as payment.
For the fraud charge, Zhou was sentenced to two years in prison, with four months suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period.
He received an additional four-month sentence for possession of counterfeit currency, bringing the effective sentence to 20 months.
In his ruling, Maburo said the crime was deliberate and well organised.
According to court papers, on February 8 Zhou went to a nightclub in Gweru where he attempted to buy beer using a counterfeit US$100 note. The note was handed to bar attendant Tinotenda Kadungwe, who became suspicious and examined it closely before realising it was fake.
Kadungwe alerted the nightclub's security personnel, who apprehended Zhou and handed him over to police at Zimbabwe Republic Police's Gweru Central Police Station.
Investigations later revealed that Zhou had arrived at the nightclub with another suspect who is still at large.
Police recovered 93 additional counterfeit US$100 notes from Zhou, all bearing identical serial numbers. The total potential prejudice amounted to US$9,300.
The notes were sent to Zimpost in Gweru for verification, where they were confirmed to be counterfeit. A certificate confirming the notes were fake was produced in court as evidence.
Source - Sunday News
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