Canadian accused of Singapore heist jailed
The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a Canadian wanted in Singapore for robbing a bank to 14 months’ imprisonment on currency and money-laundering charges.
David James Roach, 28, fled to Thailand after allegedly robbing a bank in Singapore last year.
He allegedly presented a threatening note to a cashier and made off with S$30,450 (about 750,000 baht) from Standard Chartered Bank’s Holland Village branch on July 7.
Roach then travelled to Thailand, where he was arrested a few days later.
He was charged with violating currency regulations by bringing cash into the country without properly declaring it to customs, and money laundering.
Roach confessed to these charges, but has not admitted to the Singapore robbery.
He was given one year in prison for money laundering, four months for violating the Foreign Exchange Act and one year for not declaring he was carrying more than US$20,000 or its equivalent (around 680,000 baht) in cash into the country.
The two years and four months sentence was then halved because he confessed. The money was ordered to be seized.
Singapore and Thailand do not have an extradition treaty.
Singapore’s request for Roach’s return to face the robbery charge has been rejected.
His lawyer said he was consulting his client’s relatives about whether to appeal against the sentence.