Thai Influencer Gets 54-year Jail Sentence over Gambling Promo

A former celebrity boxer, advisor of the House on gambling in Thailand, and internet personality, Siapo Po-arnon, was sentenced earlier this week over allegations of participation in the promotion of online gambling activities, as well as money laundering, a report revealed.

Internet Celebrity in Thailand Sentenced to Prison

The 30-year-old was among a group of nearly two dozen defendants that, according to prosecutors, breached the Money Laundering Act and the Gambling Act and conducted related offenses in Thailand. As a result, Po-arnon was sentenced on multiple charges, as confirmed by the Bangkok Post.

On Wednesday this week, the Criminal Court found Po-arnon guilty of 18 counts of promoting and organizing online gambling. This offense brought him a penalty of 48 months or four years in jail. He was also convicted on additional 25 counts of money laundering, which brought him another 50 years of prison time. This made the total sentence 54 years of imprisonment.

On the other hand, his wife, Chuthamas Chanthee, who was also involved in illegal activities, received a sentence as well. The court found her guilty on two counts of promoting of gambling activities. Consequently, she received a six-month prison sentence, three months on each count.

Phuttharak Chat-anont, Po-arnon’s brother, and his wife, Ploypitcha Patulang, were sentenced as well. Ploypitcha Patulang received a sentence of 14 years after being found guilty of seven counts of money laundering, while her husband, Phuttharak, was sentenced to three months in prison over promoting gambling.

A Complex Criminal Organization

In February last year, Po-arnon was arrested in his house in the Phasicharoen district of Bangkok. An investigation uncovered a massive operation that was involved in the promotion of online gambling as well as money laundering. The lawsuit against the 21 defendants claimed the involved individuals operated in three separate groups.

The leadership group was in charge of giving orders. A second group was involved in completing the financial activities needed such as transfers. The last group, which was also significantly important, were “holders of bank accounts for accepting online bets,” the latest report reveals.

According to the lawsuit against the groups, more than 1,76 billion baht ($51 million) was involved in the process from some 575,323 bets. Moreover, the groups completed more than 2,700 transactions in an effort to launder the money.