Cape Town - A Western Cape man who tried to pay for groceries worth thousands of rands with a cloned bank card was jailed for six years on Thursday.
Moegamat Farouk Martin, 42, has pleaded guilty in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Cape Town.
Under a plea-bargain deal he was convicted of fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and violating the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.
When Martin committed his latest crime, he had two suspended prison sentences hanging over his head for bank card fraud.
During sentencing, Magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg activated Martin's suspended sentences totalling three years and nine months.
At the request of defence counsel Nigel Jaftha, she ordered that the two suspended sentences would run concurrently with the six years.
This means Martin would only serve the six years imposed for the grocery fraud.
Prosecutor Denzyl Combrink told the court that he had agreed to the suspended sentences running concurrently, as part of the plea negotiations.
Jaftha told the court that the prison authorities had moved Martin from Pollsmoor Prison to Goodwood Prison, whilst awaiting trial.
The court also heard that Martin had received threats at the Goodwood Prison, and Sonnenberg ordered that he be moved back to Pollsmoor.
Martin was arrested on August 12 last year, when he tried to pay for groceries worth R13 811 at the Pick n Pay outlet in Kenilworth, Cape Town.
Staff alerted store manager John Lendoor to the fact that Martin's bank card payment had been declined.
Store managers had been warned that fraudulent bank cards were in circulation, and Lendoor recognised the card as counterfeit, and alerted the police.
An investigation revealed that the card was issued by Europay Belgium SCRL.
Martin was also found in possession of a grey-coloured Master Card, supposedly issued by the Bank of America.
Sapa