Xian Gaza sentenced to five years in jail

Xian Gaza in a Malabon jail after surrendering on April 12, 2018. Image: Mark Makalalad/Radyo Inquirer

Xian Gaza has been slapped with a five-year, six-month jail sentence after being found guilty of violating the Bouncing Check Law.

According to a court document shared by the self-proclaimed CEO, the Malabon Metropolitan Trial Court ruled that he was guilty of 11 counts of violation of the Bouncing Check Law (Batas Pambansa Blg. 22) and has to pay the complainant over P2,180,000 and litigation costs.

Image: Facebook/@xiangaza

Gaza, 24, can appeal the decision within 15 days.

According to his social media posts, he had not hoped to be acquitted: “If jail is really for me then so be it,” he wrote in a Facebook post this morning.

Image: Facebook/@xiangaza

In a post following the verdict, he appeared remorseful, stating, “Karma is real. What you do now will come back to you in the future.”

Image: Facebook/@xiangaza

He also continued to find humor in his situation. He shared a picture from a year ago which showed him traveling in Cambodia. Using a picture of him detained in jail last April, he mused that a year later he was taking a trip to prison.

Gaza faced trial for being unable to pay back two investors for a coffee shop business which never materialized. Jaime Asuncion and Melinda Cruz lent him P1 million and P2 million respectively, which he only paid in partial amounts.

He told ABS-CBN News that he had used the funds for another investment, but his debtors failed to repay him.

He was issued two warrants of arrest and surrendered on April 12. On April 15, he announced that someone posted bail for him worth P126,000.

Gaza became a social media sensation when he asked out actress Erich Gonzales on a coffee date using a billboard. JB

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