7½ years’ jail for man who duped his father and other victims of over $3.8m to help friend
Sebastian Lim Qian Ji, 33, committed the offences in order to help a friend in financial difficulties.
On September 30, a 33-year-old man named Sebastian Lim Qian Ji was sentenced to 7½ years in prison for defrauding more than 21 victims, including his father and friends, of over $3.8 million. The offenses were committed to aid a friend facing financial troubles with a frozen food business. Lim pleaded guilty to eight counts of cheating and a separate traffic offense in August.
During the sentencing, it was revealed that he had returned roughly $860,000 to some of his victims, reducing the total loss to approximately $2.9 million. Gerald Lee Hai Rui, 32, was the sole director of a company called Geroy, which struggled financially early in 2021. Lim agreed to help Lee obtain loans from his friends in early 2021.
In early 2022, Lim deceived his 59-year-old father, claiming involvement in "projects" that required funding. He persuaded his father and three friends to loan money to Geroy, believing the claims to be true. To conceal his scheme, Lim instructed victims to transfer cash or make bank transfers to intermediaries, including his mother and then-girlfriend, who would deliver the money to him.
Lim was previously convicted of driving under the influence and had his driving license revoked for two years. Despite this, he continued to drive and was involved in an accident on November 17, 2024. On September 30, he was also banned from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licenses for four years following his release.
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