Jail for 1,860 Years

Policewoman fakes signature 372 times over 4 years, steals 394,639 baht from police pensions, 1,860 year sentence reduced to 50 years.

An auditor at work during an audit, making sure financial records are accurate and free of embezzlement and fraud.

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CRIME

Woman gets 1,860 years in jail

17 Apr 2013
Online reporters

A former policewoman was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 1,860 years in prison on Wednesday by the Bangkok Criminal Court.

The sentence occurred because she committed numerous offences. However, the sentences were combined, and reduced to 50 years in prison, the maximum sentence now allowed under the law.

Chanthima Petchthanorm, 44, forged signatures on 372 occasions from October 1994 to June 1998, swindling 394,639 baht, while she was working as an officer in the financial division, responsible for pension payment at the Royal Thai Police.

Chanthima received five years for each offence. She also was ordered to make restitution to the victims.

The woman was charged on Nov 15, 2011. She denied all charges during investigation but later confessed in court.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Crime, Woman gets 1,860 years in jail, 17 Apr 2013, Online reporters, link) 

 
Crime Vocabulary

fraud - the crime of gaining money by lying, tricking and cheating การปลอมแปลง การโกง การตุ้มตุ๋น การฉ้อโกง การหลอกลวง เล่ห์เพทุบาย (See Wikipedia)

guilty - proven to have committed a crime; having been decided by a court of law that you committed the crime your were accused of มีความผิด
found guilty of fraud

sentence - a punishment given by a court of law การตัดสินลงโทษ
sentenced to 1,860 years in prison

embezzlement - stealing money that you have been trusted with as an employee or agent working for another (travel agent, stock broker, etc): "the act of dishonestly withholding assets for the purpose of conversion (theft) of such assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted, to be held and/or used for other purposes. Embezzlement is a kind of financial fraud. For instance, a lawyer could embezzle funds from clients' trust accounts, a financial advisor could embezzle funds from investors, or a spouse could embezzle funds from his or her partner... Often it involves the trusted individual embezzling only a small proportion or fraction of the total of the funds or resources he/she receives or controls; in an attempt to minimize the risk of the detection of the misallocation of the funds or resources. When successful, embezzlements continue for years (or even decades) without detection, "  also called "misappropriation of funds"  การยักยอกเงิน, การฉ้อโกงเงิน (See Wikipedia & Dictionary)

audit - an official examination of the financial records and accounting system of a company or organization to make sure they are accurate and there is no embezzlement or fraud (See Wikipedia)
auditor - a specially trained accountant who does auditing as a job


offence - a crime or illegal activity for which there is a punishment การกระทำผิดกฎหมายหรือข้อบังคับ
commit offence

numerous - many มากมาย
committed numerous offences

maximum - the most possible ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด
50 years in prison, the maximum sentence now allowed under the law

forge - to make illegal copies of something valuable, especially in order to earn money ปลอมแปลง
forgery - the crime of making illegal copies of something valuable, especially in order to earn money การปลอมแปลงเอกสาร

signature - when a person writes their name on legal documents and contracts in a special way that shows who they are ลายมือชื่อ
forge signature - fake a signature, when a person signs another person's name on a document (trying to look like the other person)

occasion - a time at which something happens ครั้ง, โอกาส
forged signatures on 372 occasions

swindle - to obtain money dishonestly from someone by deceiving or cheating them โกง, หลอกลวง, ฉ้อโกง
swindling 394,639 baht

division - one part of a large organisation ดิวิชั่น, แผนก, กอง
financial division
working as an officer in the financial division

pension - a saving system for retirement and old age; a regular payment by a company or the government to people after their retirement เงินบำเหน็ด บำนาญ เงินบำนาญ (See Wikipedia)

pension payment
responsible for pension payment at the Royal Thai Police

restitution - การทำให้กลับสู่สภาพเดิม, การชดใช้
victims - people who are killed injured or harmed in some way from an accident, natural disaster, crime, etc.
ordered to make restitution to the victims.

deny - say it is not true
charges - bring a criminal case against a person

deny charges
deny all charges

investigation - try to find out what happened during an event, discover the truth  การสอบสวน; การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง
she denied all charges during investigation

confess - to admit that you have committed a crime  สารภาพผิด
she later confessed in court