Two Filipino residents appeared in Eastern Court on Feb. 14 to face multiple charges of theft and obtaining property by deception for using a stolen credit card to go on a shopping spree a year ago.
The two defendants, identified as Manuel Roldan, 49, who works as a waiter, and Edward Reyes, 50, a musician, appeared before Magistrate Bina Chainrai.
Roldan was charged with one count of theft and four counts of obtaining property by deception. Reyes faces three counts of obtaining property by deception. The charges were read to them but no plea was taken.
The prosecutor applied for the transfer of the case to the District Court and sought an adjournment of the hearing until Feb 28 to prepare for the transfer.
He was charged with one count of theft after his arrest.
On the same day he got hold of the credit card, Roldan went to Cyber System Computer, a shop in 298 Computer Zone in Wanchai and bought a laptop computer valued at $1,956.
He paid for the computer by representing himself as the genuine holder of the card, the report said. He was charged with obtaining property by deception for that transaction.
Roldan continued his shopping spree, this time joined by his friend Reyes. They bought a second laptop computer worth $3,750 at another Cyber System Computer shop at Wanchai Computer Centre using the card.
Next, Roldan and Reyes went to Wise Computer Technology Co also in Wanchai Computer Centre and bought a laptop computer valued at $3,330. They used the same card to pay for the purchase.
The pair’s final purchase using the stolen card was a bass guitar and an effect machine for guitar valued at $9,450 which they picked up at a Tom Lee Music shop at City Centre on Gloucester Road, Wanchai.
The report did not say when or how Roldan and Reyes were arrested, but the prosecution did mention that the wife of the first defendant will be one of the prosecution witnesses.
Chainrai told the two to return on Feb 28 for the transfer hearing of their case.
Roldan and Reyes are out on bail but additional conditions were imposed by Chainrai.
