Man who duped US singer-songwriter of $794k jailed for a year, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Man who duped US singer-songwriter of $794k jailed for a year

This article is more than 12 months old

Plate admits to money-laundering offences and scammed songwriter behind Faith Hill's hit Breathe

An American conman, who scammed a singer-songwriter behind Faith Hill's hit Breathe of US$600,000 (S$794,000), was jailed for a year in a Singapore district court yesterday in connection with money-laundering offences.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Khoo noted that the case involving David John Plate, 53, marked the first time that an overseas scammer was convicted of such offences here.

The court heard that in July 2014, Plate tricked US singer-songwriter Mary Holladay Lamar, 50, better known as Holly Lamar, into believing the US$600,000 she gave to him would be loaned to a company, Globomass.

She was promised repayment with interest of at least 30 per cent. Instead, she ended up on the brink of bankruptcy.

In an exclusive e-mail interview with The Straits Times, Ms Lamar said she was introduced to Plate by a friend.

She said: "(The ordeal) destroyed my business, my relationship with my family. When (the scammers) weren't sending the interest payments, my mother sold her only property and had only US$20,000 left."

On April 9, Plate admitted to one count each of abetting an alleged accomplice, who was named as Singapore permanent resident Sandrasegaran Vasimuthu, 56, to get US$45,000 and transfer US$10,000 from this amount to another man.

After making off with Ms Lamar's money, Plate sent an e-mail on July 22, 2014, to someone named Andrew Philpott from a British company, Captive Risk, saying that the money would be going into the company's bank account.

Plate instructed Mr Philpott to "turn this around straight away", providing him with details of three bank accounts for the transfer of funds.

One of them belonged to Mr Sandrasegaran's Singapore-registered company, Aglobal Management. Captive Risk transferred US$45,000 to Aglobal's bank account three days later.

Later that day, Plate e-mailed Mr Sandrasegaran, asking him to transfer US$10,000 to a Bank of America account belonging to one Todd Peterson.

DPP Chong Yonghui had earlier told the court: "The said e-mail also contained the bank account details of two other persons for the accomplice to transfer monies. In total, the accomplice was instructed to transfer monies to five bank accounts including that of the accused."

Ms Lamar flew to Singapore on June 6, 2015, and made a police report.

Plate was arrested when he arrived here on a social visit pass on Feb 23 last year. Mr Sandrasegaran has yet to be charged.

COURT & CRIME