A black magic conman from Pathum Thani has been sentenced to 22 years and eight months in prison for fraud, sexual abuse and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.
Thanawas Assawaponsuwan, better known as Ajarn Karawage, was sentenced by the Criminal Court on Tuesday along with his wife Juthathip and three women assistants.
The court found Thanawas guilty on seven counts, each carrying a three-year jail term and all consecutive. However, the law limits his maximum sentence to 20 years in prison in total.
The court was told the five fraudsters swindled seven women, telling them Thanawas could perform a black magic ritual to boost their sexual charm or bring back their estranged husbands. The scam was advertised on Thanawas’s website and the rituals were performed at his office in Pathum Thani’s Nong Sua district from June 2010 until March last year.
The victims said Thanawas, the first defendant, lured them into having sex with him before the black-magic rites were performed, claiming it was part of the ceremony. Any woman customer coming to his office with a man would be asked to have sex with him in front of Thanawas. Juthathip and the three other women played roles in convincing the victims and preparing for the rituals.
Thanawas was charged with possessing a shotgun and two pistols without permission. Juthathip was also charged with illegal possession of a pistol.
Juthathip was sentenced to four years and eight months. The court handed down a 21-year jail term to third defendant Sumitra Naruabordin on seven counts, but she also will serve only 20 years due to restrictions on maximum penalties. Each of her colleagues received one year in prison.
The judge ordered Thanawas and Sumitra to compensate the damaged parties to the tune of 1.9 million baht, while the black magic conman’s wife Juthathip must pay 1.5 million baht in compensation.