A Thai couple were sentenced to 12,640 years in prison by Thailand's Criminal Court yesterday for running a Ponzi scheme that cost victims billions of baht.

The court ruled that Wantanee Tippaveth and her boyfriend Metee Chinpa committed 2,528 acts of fraud between March 9, 2019 and October 30, 2020.

The couple allegedly induced hundreds of victims to invest in the "Mae Manee" Ponzi scheme, promising a monthly return of up to 93 percent on their investments. Of course, those high returns never materialized.

Seven other defendants, who were employees of the scheme, were cleared of wrongdoing. According to Thai public television, the court said they were just employees who knew nothing about the couple's massive scam.

After the crooks pleaded guilty, the court halved their already heavy prison sentences depending on the circumstances of their confession.

In Thailand, fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison. However, Thai law states that fraudsters can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison in Thailand, regardless of the number of victims.

Yesterday, the court denied bail to "DJ Man" and famous singer "Baitoey" who are on trial for their alleged involvement in the "Forex 3-D" Ponzi scheme.