A former Sheriff of the Court, Abraine Fernadez Rodericus Coericius, 42, was sentenced and convicted, on Thursday, by the Oudtshoorn Regional court for fraud and money laundering.
It was alleged that during 2016 while he was a Sheriff of the court he identified three vacant plots for the complainants to buy. He was said to have supplied the contracts, received deposits, and purchase price for the plots.
The plots were never registered in the names of the complainants at the deeds office. Coericius conned three families out of a total amount of more than R470 000.
Yesterday, he was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: 2 years imprisonment (pretends to be an Attorney)
Count 2: Fraud-10 years imprisonment
Count 3: Fraud- 10 years imprisonment (sentence for 2& 3 to run concurrent)
Count 4: Fraud- 10 years imprisonment
Count 5: Fraud- 10years imprisonment (sentence 4 and 5 to run concurrent)
Count 6: Fraud- 6 years imprisonment
Count 7: Money laundering- 6 years imprisonment (sentence for 6 and 7 to run concurrent
Count 8: Fraud- 10 years imprisonment. The accused will therefore serve an effective 38 years imprisonment.
The acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Western Cape, Brigadier Mushavhaduvha Ramovha welcomed the sentence and thanked the team for their excellent work.