SINGAPORE - A 27-year-old man who duped more than 20 people into believing that he had ZoukOut 2016 tickets and hotel room stays for sale online was sentenced to 14 months' jail on Thursday (June 29).

Azmi Zanal, who faced a total of 34 charges, pleaded guilty to nine counts of cheating and one charge of consuming methamphetamine or Ice.

The total amount involved was $4,285. He made restitution of only $100 to a 19-year-old woman.

He cheated victims of between $40 and $400 each from September to December last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Eric Hu told the court that in early September last year, Azmi created e-mail addresses and registered several Carousell accounts with various user names, offering ZoukOut tickets and hotel room stays for sale when he had no intention of delivering the products.

The victims came across his online advertisements and ordered ZoukOut tickets from him. He failed to deliver the items after they had transferred money as bank deposits to his bank account.

In the only charge involving a hotel stay at Le Meridien, a 19-year-old man was deceived into paying $300 to Azmi on Dec 9, 2016.

Azmi was arrested at Genting Hotel Jurong in Town Hall Link on Dec 13 last year. Urine samples were taken from him and were found to contain methamphetamine upon analysis.

Twenty-four other charges were taken into consideration in sentencing.

Azmi, whose sentence was backdated to Dec 15, could have been jailed for up to 10 years and/or fined for each charge of cheating.

The maximum punishment for drug consumption is 10 years' jail and a $20,000 fine.