On April 5, 2025, a joyous wedding celebration at JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach was turned into a nightmare when a man stole two money boxes containing red packets worth $48,939 from the couple’s registration table. The offender, Lee Yi Wei, aged 36, was a former part-time banquet server familiar with the venue layout and had planned the theft in advance.
The incident occurred around 12.50pm during a wedding lunch held at the hotel’s grand ballroom. According to court proceedings, Lee exploited a moment when the registration table was left unattended, seizing both cash-filled boxes before fleeing the scene. The theft was captured on CCTV, and the wedding organiser quickly notified police at about 1.00pm after discovering the theft.
Investigations revealed that Lee, who was also a habitual gambler, had previously worked at the same ballroom and knew where red packet money boxes were typically placed during wedding events. He stashed the stolen boxes in a locker at the National Library in Bugis, then used $348 of the cash to buy new clothes at Bugis Junction. After changing into his new outfit, he returned to the locker, retrieved the remaining cash, and went on to spend $60 more at Raffles City Shopping Centre.
That same afternoon, Lee deposited $36,331 into his bank account through ATMs at various locations across the city. He then converted this sum into online gambling credits via an unlicensed gambling platform. Over the next two days, Lee placed 195 bets online using the stolen funds. Additionally, he visited the Singapore Pools outlet at Middle Road, where he wagered another $12,200 in cash.
Lee was arrested on April 7, 2025, and found in possession of $3,000 of the remaining stolen amount. In total, the majority of the stolen wedding gift money had been squandered through illegal gambling.
On June 24, 2025, Lee pleaded guilty in court to one count of theft and one count of gambling with an unlicensed gambling service provider. He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by District Judge Christopher Goh, who noted that Lee had clearly premeditated the crime rather than committing it impulsively. The judge also imposed a compensation order for the full amount of $48,939. If Lee fails to make restitution, he will face an additional 100 days in jail.
During mitigation, Lee, who was unrepresented by legal counsel, expressed remorse and apologised to the couple. He stated that his actions were driven by desperation linked to his gambling addiction and that he deeply regretted his offence. Judge Goh, however, was unimpressed, pointing out that Lee’s behaviour was premeditated and especially cruel given the nature of the event. “So this is the kind of thing that you do to a person on the day of their wedding?” the judge asked, to which Lee was unable to respond.
It was also disclosed in court that Lee had a prior conviction for criminal breach of trust, for which he had served 10 weeks’ imprisonment. Details of that offence were not elaborated upon. Lee had been in remand since May 2025 and has begun serving his current sentence.
The incident has drawn public sympathy for the affected couple, whose special day was marred by the calculated actions of a habitual offender. The court’s stern response reflected the seriousness of targeting a private celebration for personal gain and illegal gambling activities.
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