A 38-year-old Penal man has been sentenced to two years’ hard labour for nine counts of larceny totalling $266,000.

Between December 2022 and May 2023, several persons reportedly paid different sums of money to the accused, for the purchase, importation and delivery of vehicles from Japan.

The victims later discovered that he was never in a position to execute the transactions, and efforts to have the vehicles delivered or the money refunded were futile.

After being arrested and charged by the Fraud Squad, Farand Deonanan pleaded guilty to all nine counts when he appeared before Siparia Magistrate Brian Debideen on June 30th 2023.