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Lloyd Kure (25) was in the habit of targeting unsuspecting people seeking to exchange currencies and would dupe them by giving them fake notes.
He was convicted of fraud after a fully-contested trial.
Harare magistrate Ms Patience Madondo sentenced him to three years in prison before suspending one year for five years on condition he does not commit a similar offence within that period.
In passing the sentence, Ms Madondo said Kure had committed a very serious offence which constituted a stiffer penalty.
She said community service or a fine would trivialise the offence.
“Accused person took advantage of the complainant and defrauded him of his hard-earned cash, therefore, he deserves to be punished,” she said.
Prosecutor Ms Catherine Manjengwa told the court that on October 1 this year Nicholas Mapfungautsi received R3 000 from a relative in South Africa.
He went to the Roadport in a bid to change the money into United States dollars.
Mupfungautsi approached Kure and gave him the R3 000 and he was given US$375 in return.
On the same day, Mapfungautsi sent his son to the shops to buy groceries using part of the mo- ney.
But the son was arrested after the shop assistant noticed that the money was fake.
Mapfungautsi with the help of the police crosschecked the notes he had been given by Kure and found out they were all fake.
Kure was arrested on October 23 and was found in possession of R500 and US$170 fake notes.
Online Reporter